I will wait for you
by the.striped.one
Summary: Years had passed. They had fought for their happy end and now they all gathered for a wedding. But did they ever truly believe things would stay peaceful? Yeah, right. A story about lovers, friends and murderers. - Contains Edwin & a lot Royai; Mangaverse
1. Miss & Mrs

Mangaverse, so: **Spoilers for all and the end of the manga/Brotherhood!**

**Full Summary:** About four years after the defeat of father our heroes have settled into their new lives. They stop their daily lives to gather for a wedding - but things just never stay peaceful. A mysterious case casts a shadow on the happy gathering - and while they get to the bottom of the matter they have to face things they wanted to forget and people they thought of as allies. Will this case just be another entry in their long list of tragedies or will this bring them more happiness in the end?

A story about lovers, friends and murderers. And people that are all of the above.

**Genres:** romance, friendship, mystery, humor, action and the usual silliness.

**Pairings:** canon or canon'ish pairings;  
RoyxRiza is the star of the show and is heavily entwined with the plot. You'll find some EdxWin, AlxMei and some other pairings as well. Havoc needs more love :(

**Warnings: **sexual allusions, violence, cursing – all occasional and in T range  
Some heavy OOC due to the plot, but trust me that I like the character's the way they are and I have my reasons.  
Also some OC, but they all have a purpose and won't take center stage.

**Disclaimer: **Ain't Arakawa, ain't owning _Fullmetal Alchemist_. And I won't own it ever - that includes when I come around the corner with a new chapter :D

**Foreword: **This is a story with a plot. If you're looking for a quick fix of Royai, you will be disappointed by the slow beginning. If you however enjoy characterization and the exploration of different aspects of their relationship – this might be the story for you.  
The mystery may seem not connected at all at first, but you might see why I came up with it for a Royai story of all things later.  
I really love the cast of FMA so expect many characters to appear.

(I like to leave notes but they won't be as long as here ever again :P)

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**Chapter 1:  
Miss & Mrs.**

It was still dark.

Still.

Stupid night.

Winry wasn't sure if she wanted to have the sun rise already or keep it dark so she might get some sleep after all. She turned on her stomach and kicked her blanket away. It was no use – no way she could sleep. The whole night she had rolled from one side to the other, unable to fall asleep for good.

But she had to! No way she could have dark circles around her eyes tomorrow. Or rather today, she corrected herself, seeing her alarm clock on the night stand showing the time - 5:03 am already. Not good.

The young woman almost felt like crying. This day, she had waited for it. She wanted to look perfect for him, but _**no!**_ She had to get all jittery – resulting in her getting no sleep at all.

Winry stretched out her left arm, spreading her fingers. The moonlight coming through the window made the diamond decorating her ring finger sparkle pleasantly.

It was finally there. The day.

Soon she wouldn't be Winry Rockbell anymore. But instead:

_Mrs. Winry Elric._

Still sounded weird. She buried her face in her pillow. But she'll wear the name with pride. A big smile formed on her lips – they're going to be happy that she was sure of. They already were after all.

Edward was the one person capable of driving her mad like no one else in the world. And yet there was no one else who could make her as happy. No one she loved as much.

The young blonde wondered if the object of her affection was able to sleep peacefully. Definitely. That guy was anything but a light sleeper, she should know. You could hack off his foot without him waking up. She only had tested that theory with swapping parts of his automail leg, though.

The last time she had seen him was only yesterday, yet she already missed him as stupid as it may was. _"It's bad luck for the groom and bride to see each other 24 hours before the wedding!" _- those had been her words and she had been the one insisting on this tradition, but that didn't prevent her from feeling lonely. She slept better when she didn't have the night and the bed all for herself. It's not like she wasn't used to it. When Ed traveled around the night always was hers alone, but he was here in Resembool. Not far away – at a neighbor's house and not out of reach at all.

She wondered how his bachelor party had been. All she knew was that the men had been at a bar in the next village. The image of Ed getting forced to participate in every round of drinks popped into her mind – he hated to drink much, but it wasn't like he could hold so much anyway. That only made the little image in her head more amusing.

Winry had been a little tipsy before, from her little bachelorette party the women had thrown her here in the house. Mostly women from the village, family members from far away she rarely saw and a few female guests that had arrived early for the wedding. Like Miss Hawkeye and Miss Ross most of the military guests had arrived yesterday afternoon. She was deeply moved that so many people had taken so much time out of their busy lives to come.

Ed and her initially had wanted a very small wedding, but once they got started on the guest list it just kept on growing. Once they realized they wanted all the people to be there that had helped them in the past to show their gratitude - the couple quickly realized a big feast was the only option. So they had decided to make the best out of it, even if it would cost a fortune to feed the whole horde. The villagers were all very helpful and even helped them to provide sleeping opportunities for their guests, since the small inn right out of town couldn't hold more than a dozen people at maximum.

Earnestly hoping everything would go smooth, the bride couldn't help but feel hyper about the whole festivity. She'll officially promise Ed to be his for the rest of her life and then they will celebrate it with all the family they had left and their whole friends. If that's not going to be the best day in her life, what will be?

She felt brave and dared to peek at her alarm clock.

5:34 am.

No use.

Winry jumped out of bed, having decided that she might as well surrender to whatever sleep depriving demon had possessed her and get up.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Since there were only women staying in the Rockbell household currently and it was still a bit early to encounter anyone, Winry didn't bother to change and padded down to the first floor in her loose white tank top and pink hot pants – no need to pretty up for the night without her Ed being around anyway.

When she scuffled down the stairs Den stood up and greeted her, tail wiggling, from the foot of the staircase.

"Mornin'." Winry patted her beloved dog and then headed towards the kitchen, followed by her pet. The light was already on.

She was surprised to find one of their guests at the table sipping coffee and reading a book.

"Oh! Miss Hawkeye! You're up already?"

Riza Hawkeye looked up, just as surprised to see someone else already. Den padded over to Black Hayate who had been sleeping at the officer's feet. But now he stood up to greet their hosts, specially elated about the other canine.

"Oh, Winry! Up already?"

"Yeah … I kind of had problems to sleep properly." she uttered a bit embarrassed.

Riza smiled gently at her. Her hair hung loose, but was combed neatly. She wore a loose blouse and beige pants.

"I suppose your nerves kept you up?" The older of the two women asked.

"I wish I could say no." Winry whined and sat down next to her visitor.

"Well, it's your big day, you're bound to be excited." Riza gave her a warm smile. "I helped myself to some coffee, I hope it's okay."

"Don't worry about it." Winry said into her hands in which she had buried her face.

"Want a cup, too? I made a whole can."

"Ah thank you, that's very nice, Miss- ah I guess I should call you Captain Hawkeye, sorry." she exclaimed a bit flustered about being impolite.

Riza flipped one of the cups standing on the table over and filled it for Winry. "It doesn't really matter which you call me, Winry. I'm not in service now anyway. I rather apologize for offering you your own coffee."

Winry chuckled. "Nah, it's my pleasure really. Thank you!" She took the cup Riza handed her happily.

"Also thank you for taking the time off. Things are rather busy in East City at the moment aren't they? Makes me the more happier you and most of the military personnel came that we invited. I'm really grateful! I'm sure Ed's happy about it, too."

The amber eyed blonde had to grin at that. The girl before her had become a grown woman, and a very beautiful one at that – but she still had this bright glow in her lovely blue eyes Riza adored.

"You're too nice." Riza sighed. "We're all very happy to come. There was even a big fight among the guys who needs to stay behind, since we couldn't all go and abandon East City. Specially, with that lunatic roaming around the city. But they ended up leaving everything to 1st Lieutenant Maverick and Sergeant Smith. I hope they'll be fine."

"That case is mysterious. To think the wrong person was caught. I heard there were even more abductions?"

"Yes, sadly. The case seems to be connected to many incidents of missing persons in the last months, since the pattern was the same in every case. But they mostly showed up again after a while, just a bit confused and all spouting the same non-sense."

Winry's eyes grew wide: "What did they say?"

The Captain stayed quiet for a moment, taking her time to sip at her coffee.

"Ah, I'm sorry, you're not allowed to tell aren't you?"

"... Most of what I tell you will be in the newspapers anyway." she eyed the young woman carefully. Winry gulped nervously, unsure if she truly wanted to know more about the case, but her curiosity made her stay silent.

"They all said they were possessed." Hawkeye scratched Hayate behind his ear - the dog had put his head on her leg, looking for attention.

"Possessed?" Winry echoed in disbelief.

"Yes, it's a very strange case. I would say it's an outbreak of insanity, if it weren't for illnesses of the mind to not be contagious."

"But you haven't investigated it from the beginning, though?"

"The Brigadier General decided to make the case his own, after more people went missing even after we imprisoned our prime subject – the painter, you must have read about him." Winry nodded.

"Before only the military police department took care of it. It were only missing cases after all and no murders, and they always ended up returning."

"What a weird case."

"I tell you." Riza chuckled slightly.

"I hope you find out soon who causes this … or what. But is it really okay to have so many people leave just for a wedding … ?"

Riza gave her another warm smile and shook her head. "Don't say _'just'_. It's an important date for us, too, we don't want to miss it. And we're only a small percentage of the soldiers stationed at East City. Don't worry. There hasn't been anyone hurt. The worst injury one of the victims had, was a black eye, otherwise they were all unharmed."

"I hope it stays that way ..."

"Yes, me too. But enough of that. It's too gloomy of a topic for your wedding day. Soon things will be pretty hectic, won't they?"

Winry nodded, drinking more of her coffee in the process. She spotted the title of the book Riza had read when she had entered: _'Under the Willows'_. Winry never read it, but she knew it was a romance novel.

She thought about if she really should for a moment, but ended up going for it anyway: "Could I ask you a personal question, Miss Hawkeye?"

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

_You're near. You have to be. Enough waiting. But I will wait. Will always wait. I would never abandon you. You aren't here. The anger in my heart grows again. Just as the longing. I'm running. To you. Where are you? My love, why did you leave me behind? But I will find you. I will never go ahead. I will wait for you._

_Why do you look at me like that? Why? Stop that! Oh. It's not you. Go away! Where are you? I'm coming to you. Soon. Soon, we will be one again. Only you. I love you so much. I'm here! I'm sorry, it's all my fault. So sorry. Please, come back. I'm searching. I'm waiting. Forever._

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Notes:  
_Thank you for reading the first chapter!_  
It's my first longer story, so it's a bit of a personal challenge.

I'm open to suggestions and/or critique, so always feel free to tell me whatever you might have the urge to. I really appreciate feedback, good or bad, so leave a review if you're in the mood!

The first chapter is a little short, but it's just the start anyway :)

Edit: Some ninja edits, no changes content wise (03/06/11)


	2. Anxious Heart

Still a bit of a prelude, but I decided to let things unfold slowly. Anyway, here we go!

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**Chapter 2:**

**Anxious Heart**

"Goddammit!"

Edward flung his legs out of the bed in disgust.

He hadn't slept at all. It was almost 5:00 am and he hadn't slept more than one hour at best. That was if you added up all the instances it took him longer than 5 minutes to not look at that good for nothing alarm clock.

So he decided to screw it all and get up already. He didn't need to get ready until an eternity later, but what the heck, now he could pour a dozen cans of coffee down his throat so he won't fall asleep at his own wedding.

His wedding.

Edward froze for a moment in the middle of jumping in a shirt. The day had come. Has it really been almost two years since he proposed? In an actual lousy manner, but it worked out, so he wouldn't complain. Also … if he had done it in a sappy, traditional fashion, Winry would have just laughed at him for doing something so utterly ridiculous. She knew him too well. Things like laying out rose petals in heart shapes just weren't his style.

She always understood him - he was bad with words, but she always understood.

He slipped into a pair of simple black pants and looked at Al snoring at the other side of the room. He had no problem to sleep. Damn him.

For the first time he was genuinely glad, Winry had insisted on the tradition of not seeing each other a whole day before the ceremony. If she'd know he wasn't able to sleep because of their wedding, she would make sure to not let him forget - ever. She must still be sleeping like a stone, cuddling that stupid wrench of hers.

Ed scratched his buttocks and exited the room.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Yo, Edward!" John beamed at the soon to be wedded man coming into his living room. "You don't look good buddy!"

Edward froze an the spot, narrowing his eyes at his freshly declared enemy number two.

The man with short brown hair and surprisingly good built sat in an arm chair, giving him a big grin.

"Aww, don't give me that look! I let you use my house to hold guests and whatnot for _your_ wedding. By which you take away one of the few babes worthwhile around here if I may say so."

"... and force the groom to drink his own body weight the night before the ceremony." Ed said in a calm but clearly annoyed voice, his lack of sleep only fueling the resentment towards the neighbor he had known since he was a child.

"See? Another thing you should thank me for! It was your last night in freedom, thanks to me you had some fun!" the young man grinned proud of his actions, waving his index finger at Edward.

"... and _tried _to make me grope one of the waitresses." the groom added.

John simply shrugged. "Come on, I wouldn't have told Winry. Bros over Ho-"

"Oh stop it already." Ed interrupted him grabbing the untouched cup of coffee on the table and throwing himself on the couch standing next to it. "I didn't expect you to be awake already."

"I'm a sheep herder, I always get up very early, my boy. Already took care of my dear sheep."

"Hmm, I guess even you are capable of being responsible sometimes. But how come you knew you'd get company. Are you psychic or something?" he asked looking at the cup in his hand.

"He already had company, Fullmetal."

Entering: Enemy number one!

Brigadier General Mustang stood in the door frame in all his glory.

"It's not Fullmetal anymore, Mr. Hey-look-at-the-rack-of-that-blonde! How often do I need to tell you? Or maybe you just become too old and your memory's starting to get all fuzzy?" the former state alchemist shot at him, grinning evilly.

"Aren't we well mannered today, _Fullmetal_?" Mustang emphasized the last part smugly and strode towards Edward. "What can I say, I have a thing for blondes ... but that doesn't mean you can just go ahead and take a dark one from me."

The Brigadier General nudged the coffee in Edward's hands with his finger.

Ed turned to John, disgust showing on his face: "He didn't drink from it yet, did he?"

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

It was still dark in East City - and silent. A nice and clear night that slowly turned into morning. The first birds flew from building to building, chirping and awaiting the sun to rise. Through this peaceful scenery, a restless figure ran.

_You were supposed to be here. Why aren't you? Did you go away again? No, you would never do that. I'll follow you! But where to?_

The woman running aimlessly and alone in the still, dark alleys of East City started to scream.

"_WHY?"_

She kept on screaming in agony. Some lights in the nearby buildings began to lit up. The brunette sank to her knees, sobbing. Clutching her cheeks so hard with her fingers that they left deep, red scratches.

_Why can't I find you?_

_I finally …_

_I finally can follow you. But why? I don't know where you are, my dear. My love. It's my fault. Please, forgive me. Please. This despair. This emptiness will end. Yeah. You will end it. You always made it better … I will find you. I will wait here. I'll come for you. ENOUGH._

"Hey, Lady! Are you okay?"

A man in blue pajamas, wearing only one slipper peeked out of his door. His wife holding up a lamp - she had grabbed in panic and swung like a bat, stood a few meters behind him, watching the husband she had pushed out of their bed and the source of the uproar with concern.

The woman didn't seem to register the couple. She just knelled there and faced the sky, with her back to them.

"Miss? Do you need help? A doctor?" The man took a few steps towards her. Some more people poked their heads out of their door or their windows.

One of them shouted: "I'll call the ambulance!"; and ran back into his house.

_I can't stand it any longer._

Tears streamed down her face, making the scratches on it burn. They mingled with the blood escaping the wounds and together they trickled down to the ground – clear, salty and red.

"Hey, Miss?" The man tried to put his hand on her shoulder, but before he could she turned her head towards him so fast that he stumbled backwards, in shock. She spoke, eyes on him:

"_It's not you. Always the wrong ones. Always others … find me."_

She looked at the man on the ground with disgust. Horrified by the sight and her hissing he tried to crawl away on all fours as fast as he could. She opened her mouth again:

"_I'm not interested in you. There is only one."_

The brunette ran away, further into the city where no lights were lit.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Pinako stepped into the kitchen with the notion to get started on some of the preparations. She was surprised that she was still able to feel so fidgety about a thing like a wedding; she had gone to so many already after all. However, this was her dearest Winry's wedding - and to Ed nonetheless who was just like a son to her. As annoying that brat could be sometimes.

Another surprise awaited her at the kitchen table – two very familiar blondes who looked like they had been in the middle of an intense talk. Which she seemed to have interrupted.

"Oh good morning there." Pinako greeted in her usual raspy voice.

"Good morning." Both the blondes retorted politely.

"You're already up, grandma?"

The elderly woman lit the pipe, she had – like always – in her mouth and eyed her grandchild intently.

"That's what I should be asking you. I thought you wouldn't want to miss any of your beauty sleep."

"Oh god, please don't start!" the bride whined, letting her head drop on the table. "I couldn't sleep at all."

"It's normal to get cold feet, Winry. But if you plan on leaving the shrimp in front of the altar, please tell me before I bring out the fish." the smoking woman laughed.

"I'm nervous, but I'm not afraid. I love Ed, I'd never leave him." Winry uttered. Once she noticed her grandmother and Riza staring at her, she felt her cheeks reddening.

"I mean- ... it's just. We took our time. You know, with the wedding and everything. So much happened and the time flew by so fast. But it also took a long time, waiting – once we started the planning for real. And at the same time it just flew by, you know what I mean?"

Obviously nervous and sleep deprived, the young blonde spoke fast and flung around her arms to help to bring sense into her words.

"It's just- … it's the day. _Our_ wedding. It feels unreal. And exciting. And scary. And yet I couldn't be happier! I mean … you know-" She kept on trying to voice her feelings in a satisfactory way, arms still flying around in the air and becoming more red with every word.

The two women watching and hearing the little torrent of words coming from Winry couldn't decide if they should laugh or cry at the adorable outburst. It was as entertaining as it was heartwarming to see her trying to communicate her emotional state.

It was Riza who spoke first, smiling kindly at her:

"You're following your heart. There's no need to explain … right?"

Winry fell silent immediately and looked at the other blonde with wide eyes.

"It's the path you've chosen and if you look down on it you see all the prospects that are part of it. All the things you and Edward await. So many happy things to look forward to. It would be weird not getting excited about it. You love each other; I'm sure you will be immensely happy."

Pinako tapped some of the ash out of her pipe into the ash tray before her.

"Now, you surprise me Captain. You didn't struck me as a woman so romantic and interested in love affairs."

"... it's fine to call me just Riza. I just told Winry that, too." uttered the officer a bit baffled, but kept her calm front. "It's easy to see that they belong together."

Winry was still silent and also didn't avert her gaze from Riza.

"True, true. But the boy has some Hohenheim in him – traveling around all the time. But at least he comes home frequently." Pinako remarked while puffing smoke rings. "They marry young, but I believe they'll be fine, too."

The trio got interrupted. The telephone in the hall rang.

"I'll get it." Pinako jumped down her chair and trotted out of the room. "If it's someone saying there are problems with their delivery, I'm gonna give them a piece."

Just when her grandmother was out of the door, Winry finally opened her mouth again:

"Riza ..."

The woman in question now returned Winry's determined gaze.

"Are _you_ really following your heart?"

Riza didn't avert her eyes, the expression on her face didn't change either.

"Yes, I am."

Winry eyed her for a bit longer, before she continued:

"Then why are the things we see ahead in our paths so different?"

The amber eyed blonde opened her mouth to respond, but closed it again - taking a moment. Just when she was about to give her answer, Pinako's head appeared in the door:

"Captain- or rather Riza, there's an officer on the line. An officer Smith saying he has something to report."

Riza stood up: "I'm sorry to intrude even more on your household."

"Don't worry about it." the elderly said, looking from the officer to her grandchild, picking up that she seemed to have interrupted yet again.

Winry affirmed her suspicion by pretty much collapsing on her chair, making a face.

"Whenever it gets interesting!"

The older blonde stopped in the door frame, knowing fully well that this answer won't satisfy the sleep deprived bride, but still said with a softness Pinako hadn't heard from her before:

"Because the paths we've walked down on are very different. … If you'll excuse me then."

Captain Hawkeye closed the door behind her.

Winry chuckled. "That's a lame answer."

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Notes:

Thank you very much for reading!  
Also thanks to those awesome people who already left a comment for the first chapter! Any praise or critique is still very welcomed, so feel free to give it to me, I won't bite :3

Hope to see you next time!

greetings,  
the striped one

Edit: Ninja edited some grammar (12/13/10)


	3. Femme Fatale

Update, wohoo! ~v~

Thank you for continuing to read! And to those who reviewed double chocolate cookies in heart shapes!

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**Chapter 3: **

**Femme Fatale**

The steam emitting from the train halting in East City's train station covered only a small portion of the long platform. Izumi Curtis and her over loving husband already were seated in the train and watched the ruckus going on from their window seats. The railroad was heading further into South – towards Ishval, so nothing besides province on the way. Nevertheless, the platform was immensely busy and the train seemed to be rather packed. However, more people got off than on the train, since East City was the last big station of the line.

The people bustling around were of all kinds. Families going on a trip, old ladies, business men, soldiers and there even seemed to be musicians – Izumi watched as a tiny man with a bowler hat tried to heave a cello shaped suitcase into one of the train entrances.

"My, my one of his fellow band members should help him."

Her husband turned his head to follow Izumi's gaze. "You mean that little gnome?"

"Yes, dear. I take the other people in suits with the instruments belong to him. I-" She stopped mid-sentence because a woman about the same age as her caught her attention. She was tall and wore a tight, black dress that was ridiculously short. Her decollete was framed by a dark red feather boa hanging loosely around her neck. Her – also red – high heels clicked loudly on the floor as she strode towards the little guy and screamed furiously at him. The couple wasn't able to make out a single word she 'said' but her kicks towards the - now even smaller looking - guy and his cello made it seem like it wasn't anything nice. The golden pendant she wore around her neck swung violently from side to side while she gestured. In the end the angry woman picked up the suitcase and threw it into the train. Without giving the man another glance she strolled past him into the wagon in the most graceful way possible.

"Haha, that woman has fire!" The housewife laughed, amused immensely by the display.

Sig took her hand in his and looked her deep in the eyes: "Not as much fire as you, my love."

His low voice still made her stomach tingle in joy, specially when he said such lovely things. Izumi threw herself in the arms of her lover.

"Oh honey!"

A little boy and his mother sitting across the alleyway looked at the cuddling couple – totally baffled. Before the little boy could ask his mother she shushed him with a: "Don't look at that!"

The couple – looking as if trying to fuse into one being – still got interrupted:

"Oh! What a wonderful expression of affection! I'm so touched! Izumi Curtis! Sig Curtis! Wonderful! Love truly is the most wonderful thing on earth!"

They turned around to find a blonde man all covered in muscles before them, posing and sparkling. His shirt flew towards the face of the officer accompanying him. Warrant Officer Denny Brosh wasn't amused about the sweaty shirt in his face.

"Lieutenant Colonel Armstrong!" Izumi exclaimed surprised about the man appearing, but not about the way he greeted them.

"My friend!" Her bear of a husband roared excited. Sig discarded his shirt as well, so they could greet each other appropriately with their glittering muscles!

The mother took her son by the hand and fled to the next car, hoping to not run into more lunatics.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Hawkeye picked up the receiver lying on the little table in the Rockbell's hallway.

"Captain Hawkeye speaking."

"Good morning, Captain Sir! Here is Sergeant Smith speaking! I'm very sorry to disturb – specially so early, but Brigadier General Mustang told us to call this number if something worth reporting happened!" The young officer spoke fast, giving away his nervousness. But who could blame him? He imposed on his stern superior on her weekend off, if his report was deemed as unnecessary he could easily get a salary cut.

The blonde responded calmly: "Report then."

"Yes, sir!" The Sergeant spoke. "The woman that went missing two days ago was sighted this morning. Or at least an eye witness recognized her after seeing a picture. I understand that we don't know yet if this case is connected, but-"

"It was good you called, please tell me everything." Hawkeye interrupted to make the man on the other end relax a bit. "Give me all details."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The train heading to Resembool was at top speed now. The view from the window slowly changed – the buildings became less and less, the landscape became green and rural instead. Brosh and Armstrong had joined the Curtis couple and had sat down across them – leaving Brosh not much space next to the muscular Lieutenant Colonel, who was smiling constantly, happy to see the couple after a long while.

"Still, such a coincidence that we're in the same train. I would have thought the people coming today would take at least a train later." Brosh wondered, trying hard to find a position in which neither the wall or the Lieutenant Colonel pressed onto him.

"We were in East city since yesterday afternoon and thought we'd rather arrive a bit earlier." Sig stated in his low voice.

Izumi examined the two officers from head to toe and wondered: "How come you two are still in uniform? I thought all of Mustangs men got the weekend off - except Maverick and ...that clumsy one."

"Brigadier General Mustang had a special task for us to take care off before our departure." Armstrong sparkled proudly. Brosh sighed miserably, giving away how much enthusiasm he had felt about having to work while the others already had a party last night.

"Special task? Something to do with the abductions lately?" The housewife questioned, squeezing the large hand that rested partially (his whole paw didn't fit on one leg alone) on her lap.

"Yeah, kinda. I'm sorry, but we're not really allowed to talk about it. Specially, in a public place like this. Who knows what kind of people are-" The young officer stopped talking when he heard voices from the next car. Loud voices. All the heads turned towards the door which blocked the view of the dispute. But the noise died down suddenly and only the clacking of the train on the rails was heard.

More nothing.

The curiosity of the passengers started to fade and they returned to their prior business.

"Ah well, I hope you understand." Brosh continued finally, in an apologetic tone.

Izumi nodded, but looked unsatisfied: "I'm just asking because-"

Without warning a loud crash was heard, coming from the next wagon. A moment later the door burst open and a certain woman ran into the car and down the alleyway to the wagon on the other side. She pulled a little boy behind her and mumbled something like "Why didn't I take the next train?" while she passed.

The mother was closely followed by the little man from the train station who seemed, judging from speed and fear in his eyes, to be escaping a wild animal. He held his bowler hat with his right hand, so it didn't slip from his head while he sped away – away from whatever he was fleeing from.

"RICKY!" The wild animal roared from behind the now half open door. It was a harsh, strong voice, but definitely female, too. And then she appeared – the tall woman in that short dress who had harassed the tiny man on the platform in East City.

Her eyes flew over the passengers in the whole wagon, trying to spot her prey.

"A midget with a hat." The woman spoke and she raised her flat hand up to her waist to demonstrate the height of the object in question. "He ran to the next wagon, didn't he?"

The passengers looked at her as if she had just ascended from the heavens or had just crawled out of the opposite. It was Armstrong who answered her – standing up to greet the lady properly with a little bow:

"Yes, I'm afraid so. He rushed to the next car, Madam." A single sparkle flew towards her.

The woman looked from the big man to the door leading to the next wagon, pondering if she should give chase or not. She sighed and floated towards the muscle man, reaching her hand towards him.

"I am SO sorry for the ruckus, but I couldn't stand his unprofessional behavior any longer! The nerve of that man." She giggled after saying that, her menacing aura vanishing on the spot. Instead she suddenly emitted an endearing shine.

The Lieutenant Colonel took her hand in his and gave it a light kiss, his beard grazing her skin.

"Lieutenant Colonel Alex Louis Armstrong – it's a pleasure to meet you."

She gave him another amused chuckle: "My my, to meet some of Amestris' handsome soldiers ..." She turned to Brosh briefly before she looked back at the state alchemist. "Mary West. It's a pleasure!"

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Oh? You're the singer? On Edward's wedding? What a coincidence!" Izumi exclaimed surprised by the new information. Mary West had sat down in one of the seats opposite from the group.

"Yes, yes. The Elrics hired us a while ago when they visited the club we frequently star in – 'The Red Barrel'. You might have heard about it. We seldom go out of our way for a gig like a wedding, but this seemed pretty much worth it. So many well known people coming! The groom himself is quite famous, too already!" Her voice was a little raspy, but at the same time so very graceful; she highlighted syllables dramatically here and there. She had that special, glamorous aura about her. An aura that drew people in immediately and always made her the center of attention.

Mary crossed her legs slowly and twirled one of her long straight strands of dark brown hair around her finger. The oversized, round locket on her chest bounced a bit up and down due to the motion of the train. An eagle just taking flight was engraved into the gold. It had a snake in it's beak.

"I guess, I'm lucky to have run into you. We brought a map and dear Alphonse gave us a detailed description on how to get to the hall too, but you never know! I personally already have trouble to find my cigarettes in my own bag! And the band members aren't much better. It would be such a hassle to carry all the instruments back and forth if we end up at the wrong place. It's also why I insisted on taking this train – this way we make sure to have enough time to set up and check everything."

Izumi had watched her husband closely who avoided to look at Mary and fixed his eyes on his wife instead, even more intently once she squeezed his leg just as intense.

Brosh however let his eyes fly over her legs, wondering how much older the singer might be.

Armstrong looked her in the eyes and offered politely: "I'll gladly escort you. I've been in Resembool in the past and know where the community center is. It's right next to the town hall and also not far from the Elric's Home. Or rather the Rockbell's."

"Oh? It's the beautiful bride's house?" The singer asked leaning a bit forward. Brosh followed the pendant with his eyes as it got entangled in her decollete. Sighing when it freed itself with the next 'clack' of the rails and continued to bounce on and off Mary's breasts.

"Yes. The Elrics moved in with Winry and her grandmother for good about four years ago. They used to have their own home there, but … it got destroyed long ago." The Lieutenant Colonel decided that the Elric's past shouldn't be brought up and avoided the details. Specially, since he had no idea how much the chanteuse knew.

"I see ..." Mary seemed to pick up that the big blonde omitted something, but didn't inquire any further.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Alphonse was fairly surprised when he stepped into John's living room. He knew the guy himself always got up early, but his brother and the Brigadier General wasn't what he expected. They had a meager breakfast – just a few slices of bread topped with either cheese or lard.

The young man stepped into the room to join the group: "Good morning ..."

The three men greeted him back – John in his friendly manner like always, Mustang with a smug grin and Ed waved at him weakly.

"Ed are you alright?" Al sat down next to his older brother, giving him a concerned pat on the shoulder while he did so.

Edward simply groaned. He looked extremely tired.

"You didn't sleep well, huh?"

The groom turned to face his brother: "No- I mean yes, but that's not the reason." He paused and pointed towards a certain military officer seated across the table, who sipped at his coffee peacefully. "That."

"_That_?" Roy raised an eyebrow at the former state alchemist. "That's not a nice way to refer to me, your precious guest."

"You are anything, but precious to me."

"Ahhh~ you must feel really honored, Fullmetal. To have such a dazzling and powerful person as your guest. I'm a real celebrity after all!"

Edward picked up his coffee mug and stated flatly turned to his younger brother: "See?"

Roy continued happily, ignoring who the Elrics didn't seem to listen: "Just last week they printed a photo of me with one of my dates - '_B. G. Mustang sets another heart on fire!'_."

"Ah well …" Alphonse decided against commenting on the matter. His brother and the Brigadier General were the kind of people that got along because they didn't get along.

"Sometimes it feels like a curse – the public eye should focus on my politics and hard work-"

"So … you didn't sleep well brother?"

Ed looked into his mug, hoping that if he stared long enough into the dark fluid, he would become invisible and could just pretend that he had slept like a stone.

"-I guess I'm just a too appealing person to not be interested in my personal life."

A ring interrupted the men, coming from the telephone in the corner of the fairly spacious room. John stood up and walked over to pick up. He had preferred to watch his guests converse rather than to participate – it had nothing to do with the kick (with his automail leg to boot!) Edward had delivered him after his _"Ode to the mounts of the fair mechanic" -_ no of course not. He limped a bit, though.

"Hello there whoever you are!~~ " The sheep herder sang into the speaker.

"... Oh yes! Of course I remember you. How could I forget a sexy lady like you? … Hm? Yeah, he's here. But more importantly- how about you give me the first dance at the wedding party? I'll show you the moves of my hypnotic swiveling hips! … I'll get him right away- Even officers need to have some fun sometimes, right? … Yes yes, just a moment- You're not going with Mustang right? I know you arrived together, but the way he acted yesterday-"

It took the Brigadier General that long to register who might call this house so early and would ask for someone else than the owner. He immediately sprung over the armchair he had been sitting on and sprinted to the bluntly flirting John.

"I mean I wouldn't act like that if I had a fine lady like you at home-" John got interrupted abruptly. Mustang had tackled him with full force causing him to kiss the ground violently. However, the state alchemist caught the receiver in mid air. He exhaled, straightened up - composed himself before he lifted it up to his ear and mouth.

"... Brigadier General Mustang speaking."

He could hear that she was there, but she stayed silent for a little moment. The Elric brothers were beyond amused by the scene and tried hard not to laugh too loud – that would disturb the pretty picture.

"... Captain Hawkeye here, Sir. Good morning." He heard her say in her usual business voice.

"Good-"

But his greeting was cut short by his subordinate: "I'm sorry to impose this early on you, but Sergeant Smith called. He has new information on the woman that went missing two days ago. It's not too urgent, but it was worth the report."

Now he was all ears. "I see. Let's talk about this personally. I'll come over before the ceremony, if you don't mind, Captain?"

"Agreed, Sir. See you then."

"Yes. See you then." He hung up, but his eyes lingered on the telephone. A drop of sweat trickled down the side of his face.

"You screwed up dude!" He heard someone murmur on the floor.

"I'll go change!" Mustang snapped before leaving - and accidentallywalked over a certain shepherd in the process.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**Notes:**

**Thank you for reading!**

Also big thanks to the people who left a comment or put this story on alert, thanks a lot :')

Also:  
I don't have the 'humor' genre selected, but there will be a bit thrown in here and there. The wedding (party) will be loaded with interactions, so that pretty much screams for some humor. Hope it hits more often than it misses.

The wedding setting will stay for quite a while .. until around chapter 10, so I hope you have fun with it. It might appear like I forgot the plot sometimes, but trust me I haven't :) (as if you're reading for that anyway XD)

Edit: Snuck in and edited some errors; content unchanged (12/14/10)


	4. Setting Up

Fast update is fast! I was on a roll lately with writing – so here is ch. 4!

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**Chapter 4:**

**Setting up**

The sun shone on her through the window nicely. The warmth pleasantly spreading on her skin. Winry lay sideways over an armchair, finding some peace finally. Her eyes were closed and her arms hung lazily down the piece of furniture. With her sight on pause, she could concentrate on the sounds surrounding her.

She heard the bee that had lost it's way flying from corner to corner, not finding the wide open window through which it had entered not too long ago. She could hear the people downstairs carrying chairs and whatnot in and out. And if she let all the other noises go – she could hear her own heartbeat. It might have been due to her awkward position, but she could clearly hear it, pumping in a steady rhythm. A weird sound actually; it almost sounded mechanic in her ears, like the tictac of gears, going through the same routine over and over.

Winry had to smile when she thought about Ed's heartbeat. She tipped her fingers on the floor, trying to imitate the rhythm she heard. Ed's was different. It sounded like … she didn't know what it sounded like to be honest, but the thought filled her with warmth. It didn't sound mechanic at all that she was sure of, it sounded full of life and passion.

Not long anymore. Than she would put on her dress. Her wedding dress.

The rhythm changed.

Winry opened her eyes and sat up, feeling her heartbeat with her hand.

'Great', she thought. 'Here we go with the nerves again!'

The bride let herself fall, back to her previous position. She kicked the air in frustration.

'I'm going to listen to it tonight again.', the thought calmed her.

She heard a light knock on her door. Winry sat up and straightened her blouse to look orderly before she answered:

"Yes?"

The door opened slowly and a light brown head peeked into the room to make sure it was okay to enter. Gracia Hughes smiled kindly at the young bride.

"Hey, are we getting ready yet?"

Before Winry could answer a little girl with twin tails pushed past her mother and stormed into the room to jump into Winry's arms.

"Wiiiiiiiiinryyyyy~~!", the little girl nuzzled her – personally declared – older sister. The target of her affection was just as pleased and returned her embrace happily.

„Elicia! Don't bother Winry too much today." Her daughter didn't seem to like the suggestion and made a pouting face. "Seriously, you already had plenty of her yesterday."

"But I had to go to bed early! Even so you all still played games!", the child whined, turning to face her mother.

"I already told you, those were adult games, they wouldn't have been any fun for you. Today's Winry's day, so you have to give her some time to breath.", Gracia chuckled

"Nah, it's fine. She has an important duty today after all! Right, Elicia?", Winry beamed at the girl who nodded enthusiastically, happy to take part in the wedding.

Her mother smiled; she always had adored the bond between the two. She closed the door behind her and came over to her girls:

"The band arrived – and some more guests, too."

"Ah they're early! But I guess that's good."

"The singer sure is something else.", Gracia laughed into her hand as she thought back to her encounter with the woman.

Winry joined in: "Ha ha, yes she sure is. But she has an amazing voice! We're very happy that she agreed to come. The big band is really awesome, too."

"I guess artists always are a little different … ah well. She said that you can have a look on the set list or have a briefing with the whole band if you wish to."

Elicia had started to follow the bee that whirled around and tried to shush it out of the window.

"Hmm, we already talked about all important things – if nothing changed in that regard I don't think it's necessary. But maybe Ed wants to have a look." Winry stood up and stretched her arms behind her back.

"Alphonse is passing the message to him. You want to start to get ready?"

Winry looked over to the dress hanging neatly in the corner. "Hm yeah. Hair first, I think."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The police department in East City was busy today. Sergeant Quentin Smith paced through the building, thick folder in hand. He wasn't in a good mood today. The vast majority of his colleagues had only been gone for a day and the work was supposed to be passed on and divided with the other offices – but of course it wasn't that easy and most things just piled up on _his_ desk. With even Lieutenant Colonel Armstrong and Warrant Officer Brosh gone now it was only him and 1st Lieutenant Maverick. Great.

It was not only the work, but also the person he was left with. Lieutenant Maverick was far from being a bad person – the contrary actually. Just he wasn't really what you could call "good company". He rarely talked and his dark eyes always had a sharp look, like they could see through you. That the man was pretty much two meters high didn't help the intimidating impression you got standing before him. He was a very strict superior, but he also wasn't unfair. Maverick actually was similar to Captain Hawkeye in a lot of aspects. Smith remembered once when he was stuck with only them in their bureau during a break. Uncomfortable indeed. Surprisingly the Captain had turned out to be the better company in the end. Surprising because she generally was sterner and stricter than Maverick. But she seemed to actually loosen up once not on the job, while Maverick seemed to sleep with a frown on his face.

The Sergeant was very happy that the report to Captain Hawkeye was well received – he was glad she was serious about her work after all. Things might have turned out worse if he had reported directly to the Brigadier General on a day off. He opened the door to the interrogation rooms and slipped into the third door in the section.

1st Lieutenant Maverick still stood at the same place Smith had left him, watching the man sitting in the next room through the window that only reflected like a usual mirror from the other side. The eye witness still wore his pajama. The younger officer saluted his superior:

"Sergeant Smith returning, Sir! I brought the file you requested! Also reported to Captain Hawkeye successfully." He handed the heavy file to his superior who nodded approvingly.

"Good." Maverick opened the file and flipped through it, looking like he searched for a specific page.

"But really … if that woman appeared, she's not really missing, right? She can't be related to our case." Smith scratched his head.

Maverick kept silent, flipping through the pages.

"I mean, she's engaged right? To be wed next week. Might just be a case of cold feet. And just coincidence that she works at the museum."

"Yes. But what if not?", his superior stated flatly eying a photo of the painter they previously had imprisoned.

"Yeah, but if she is the victim of our abductor - how can it be abductions, if the victims run freely around the city?"

The tall man silently scanned the page that contained the interview of the painter, not responding.

"This case … nothing fits. What does that guy do with the victims anyway? They're never seriously hurt or show any sign of abuse. And how anyway? I mean if he really uses hypnotism – what for? If he would use the victims to commit crimes, it would at least make _some_ sense ...", the young officer ruffled through his light brown hair as if he could shake the solution out of it.

"Why make people disappear, just to make them appear a little later? What does he accomplish with that?"

"It's our job to find that out. _'Emma Johnson'_ – she might be the key."

"How?" Smith asked looking up to face the Lieutenant.

Maverick looked up from the file and to the man in the next room. He looked around nervously, still shaken by the encounter this morning. He only had wanted to help the crying woman and now he seemed to have stepped into a criminal case.

"If she appears in the next days and tells the same story as the other victims – we know that she wasn't simply missing. And we know that the abductor doesn't cage his victims in. Whatever that's worth."

Smith was a bit embarrassed; that hadn't crossed his mind at all.

"But doesn't it seem a bit cruel to just wait and see?"

"... we don't really have a choice. It's not like we have any lead, besides that confused guy there claimed that it was her. His wife didn't really see anything, so we have to make the best out of his testimony. He was right in front of her, so chances are good it really was Ms. Johnson. … We also posted a few soldiers at the museum."

"The guy would be mental to return there yet again ..."

Maverick closed the file and started to walk out: "Yet all missing persons frequented the place or lived around the proximity – for all we know the guy is a true lunatic."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Oooooooh, the Elrics! What a pleasure to see you gentlemen again!", Mary West floated towards the two brothers, sporting a huge smile and arms wide open.

The brothers greeted her with forced smiles – they loved her performance but her persona wasn't easy to handle.

"Thank you for going out of your way to be here today, everyone!", Ed said to Mary and the band which smiled happily. They were busy setting up on the stage in the big hall.

There was a large space left empty to be used as a dance floor, but the majority of the huge room was taken up with tables and chairs.

The dark wood of the walls and floor gave the room a cozy feel. The furniture and pillars were decorated with white and red, enforcing that impression and lighting up the room at the same time. A little team of florists hurried through the room placing they're goods on the tables and in all corners. They had already finished decorating the tent in which the ceremony would be held, it was right next to the building they stood in at the moment.

The community center barely had enough space for all guests, but by using all annexing rooms for the buffet and additional seating arrangements, it should work out somehow. Luckily most of the rooms directly next to the hall had big double doors and so the rooms didn't seem truly separated. Some of the walls were actually sliding doors too, making the other rooms even more open.

The second floor would be used as storage for the presents and for the belongings of the guests they didn't want to carry with them, like their coats.

Mary stepped into the middle of the brothers and rested her arms on their shoulders.

"Ah, it's such a pleasure to see you handsome boys again!", she squeezed them tight while she dragged them towards the stage. She let go of Edward to grab a few papers lying on a trunk and handed them to him with a dazzling smile.

"The song list – have a look will you, love?"

"Ah sure, thanks!" Edward took the opportunity to pull away and walked through the hall while reading.

Since they were lucky to have wonderful weather that day, the French doors leading to the spacious terrace were wide open. A little flower garden and a wonderful green meadow enriched the scenery. From the terrace you could see into the big, white linen tent that was positioned at the side of the building. Numerous lines of white chairs stood on the grass, a dark red carpet divided the rows in the middle, serving as the aisle. At the front the workers had built a little platform on which the couple and the clerk would stand on later when exchanging vows. The walls had been removed to let the light breezes and sunshine take part in the ceremony. In their stead colorful garlands hung down the sides of the roof – the children of the village had tinkered them.

With all the rooms and the area outside there should be enough space for the guests to have fun and wish the newly weds all the best.

Edward was truly thankful for the good weather and that all the preparations went well, he grinned at his brother as he stepped out to the terrace – Al had the full attention of Mary who leaned in close to him while she told him tales about her first husband.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Edward sat down on one of the chairs in the tent, going through the song list. The singer had put notes next the songs that had been added, but the songs Winry and he had requested had stayed untouched. He didn't know all additions, but those he recognized seemed to be good songs and fitting. The others were surely too so he would simply approve of the list. They had asked them to perform at their wedding because of the beautiful songs they performed after all. There also seemed to be many instrumental pieces, giving the diva many pauses. He folded the pages in the middle, but didn't get up right away. Instead he leaned back and took in what he was seeing.

Flowers everywhere. White. Red. The gaudy garlands. The green meadow framing the tent and the hall.

Today. Not long and his Winry will walk down this very carpet. Towards him. And then they'll be husband and wife.

A scientist having a spiritual wedding ...

Edward had always claimed to be an atheist. The experiences he made years ago hadn't changed that – including meeting 'The Truth'. He believes in humanity, not in a higher being. But he also wouldn't claim that god was non-existent.

_One is all. All is one._

He had to chuckle. To recite that golden rule of alchemy … he was an alchemist only in theory for a long time already.

A former alchemist marrying a mechanic … Edward smiled.

He wouldn't have been content with just registering them as an item. He wanted to celebrate their union – and give her a truly romantic day at least once. If there was something he was bad at, it was being romantic. Edward stroked one of the petals that decorated the aisle.

'Not too bad, right?'

It was a bit stupid, but he actually missed her right now. They only parted yesterday. Ah, he was a miserable mess right now. All nerves and sleep deprived. John had been right (as much as that statement alone sounded wrong) – she truly was worthwhile. Smart, goodhearted and-

_A true poetic sight,_

_to conquer her mounts, _

_takes a man with might!_

_Round and grand-_

John's singsong voice echoed in his ears.

'Oh god, way to go .. remembering the stupid limerick of that idiot. The nerve of him.'

… but Ed had to admit, they were quite the sight indeed. He grinned sheepishly.

He had a lot of things to look forward to today.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Meanwhile, Al was faced with other mounts – Mary West still had her arm around him, pulling him close, giving him quite the view as she did so.

"Ah you know it was a beautiful night and the moon shined while we walked through the dark city and then he suddenly knelled down in front of the fountain we always met at - and proposed! But not only that – he also asked me to run away with him! Ho ho ho … he was such a passionate man!"

Alphonse laughed along politely not sure with how much closeness he was comfortable with. Mary's breasts pressed on his arm. And her golden amulet did too… at least he thought that it had to be the hard thing between them.

"But enough about me, how about you tell me some stories about yourself? You're still young, but you already had quite an adventurous life, hm? Don't omit any dirty details! Ha ha!", she laughed and leaned even more closer. The feather boa around her neck tickled his nostrils. She whispered in a low voice only millimeters away from his ear: "You can tell me anything you want, my dear. I won't tell anyone … Promise!"

Alphonse could only answer with a nervous chuckle. Her warm breath in his ear made him shudder … not in a bad way. He tried to wiggle away a bit and looked around to make sure a certain Xingese girl didn't see him in this misleading position with an attractive woman.

He cursed his brother for leaving him as a sacrificial lamb and was elated to spot his salvation coming through the door:

"SENSEI!", he shouted a bit too enthusiastic. "I'm sorry Mrs. West-"

"Mary.", she interrupted him with a smile.

"Mary!", he said with a little bow, shoving her away gently. "I need to greet a few guests and do other stuff! If you'll excuse me!"

"Sure, my boy.", she still beamed at him. "Don't forget to request a song later – your wish will take priority."

"Thank you very much!" Al looked stressed and relieved at the same time. "Uhm, I'll go then!"

He bowed a second time before he turned. The chanteuse waved at him, but her smile froze once he had his back to her.

"... see you later, handsome.", she said quietly, only audible to herself.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

_**Notes:**_

Dun dun duuuuun!

**Thank you for continuing to read!**

Special thanks to **Oakleaf** my "loyal reviewer" ;D You're to blame for a big chunk of my motivation :3

Reviews = awesome, they make my stripes tingle in joy! Specially since this seems to go up to 20 - 30 chappies, so I'd like to know what **you** think :) It's my first long baby after all XD

The three lines are only a tiny excerpt of the _"Ode to the mounts of the fair mechanic"_ . Ed kicked him for the later explicit descriptions :P I know it has a bad rhythm but neither me or John are big poets ...

Hope to see you next time!

Greetings,

the striped one~


	5. Professionally Domestic

**Chapter 5:**

**Professionally Domestic**

Roy Mustang stood right in front of the door of the Rockbell house. He hesitated to knock.

He didn't know why.

Mustang already wore his evening attire – gray pants, a simple white shirt with a blue gray vest over it and a tailcoat blazer. And of course a black tie and a little white flower in his buttonhole. His black leather shoes were freshly polished and shone nicely in the sunlight. His hair was combed back neatly – as an attempt to look more dignified.

Through the open windows he could hear the women inside talk and hurry around – they seemed to get ready. He couldn't make out the voice of his Captain.

He knocked finally.

The voices became silent for a moment and were replaced by Den's barking. She had preferred to stay inside and watch the ladies put on make up. But the females resumed their talk right away.

The door was opened and Pinako – wearing a green dress – looked up at the man expectantly:

"If it isn't the Brigadier General … came to peek?" she asked deadpan, striking a sexy pose for him.

Mustang decided to respond with his prince charming persona: "Ha ha, I'd be glad to, but I'm actually here due to a work matter. Is Captain Hawkeye here?"

The sweat running down his face and his high pitched voice made his statement a little less believable, though.

Den walked around him, snooping.

"Work even on a special day like this … the young should enjoy themselves and cut on the work."

Mustang just gave her a nervous smile as a response.

"Ah well, your woman just went upstairs."

He ignored the implication and entered, giving the elderly woman a polite little bow. He turned to greet the rest of the ladies – quickly scanning the room to make sure he didn't disturb any woman while undressing. The Brigadier General didn't know all women that looked at him. He didn't spot Gracia, but he could clearly see 1st Lieutenant Ross with a little brush in her hand, the tip was blue from the eye shadow she was in the middle of applying. It took him two glances to recognize 1st Lieutenant Catalina, though … her face was full with green guck - a face pack. Her hair was totally devoured by pink hair rollers. The look on her face to be seen like that by her superior was – simply put – priceless.

The man himself tried hard to not laugh out loud and turned so she didn't see him cracking up. He tried to calm himself and wanted to cover up his muffled laughs with fake coughs. Loosening his tie, he finally got a bit control over his laughing urges.

"I … uh … I'll go upstairs then!" he uttered still not truly composed. "Sorry, to disturb ladies."

"Second door on the right." Pinako told him while he climbed up the stairs, still holding his stomach.

Once he had reached the door he froze again, unable to knock right away.

The image of a face pack wearing Captain - her wonderful hair curled up in hair rollers - shot in his head. With the same deer-in-headlights look Lieutenant Catalina gave him just now.

He had to lean against the door so he didn't fall, trying hard to muffle his snickering.

After he calmed down a bit and could make a straight face again, Mustang knocked – no answer.

He knocked again – no answer.

He slowly turned the knob and opened the door just as slow.

"Captain?" he asked into the room before entering carefully. Her dog wasn't there. Lucky!

"Hello?" he said, looking around the empty room. A mattress lay in one of the corners, the cushion and blanket scattered on it as if someone had just got up from it. The big double bed in the middle was made neatly. On the right side of it was an open suitcase – out of it jutted a pile of clothes and other belongings. There was a suitcase on the other side too – Mustang recognized it as the Captains. It was closed and as expected, nothing lay around it, everything was orderly in her territory. His eyes stopped at the sight of her clothes lying on her bed – folded nicely. He could make out the corner of a very suspicious garment, but before he could verify his conjecture he heard steps behind him, startling him so much he almost got an heart attack.

"Dammit Rebecca it's not my fault you started to get ready too late. It's **your** fault you have an hangov-", Hawkeye uttered upon entering from the bathroom next door, stopping immediately when she spotted her superior. Her hands were on her back, trying to get a hold of the zipper of her still unzipped dress.

"Sir!" she exclaimed completely surprised. "I didn't expect you so soon! I'm sorry."

He smiled, trying to hide his embarrassment and his delight to be greeted with such a pleasant sight.

His Captain had no hair rollers in her hair – it was put up nicely, decorated with a few simple, but elegant barrettes. They had the same color as her dress – light blue. Her dress however, was low cut in the front, but featured a high neck.

"No, I'm sorry to intrude! I'm also too early."

She eyed him closely, her gaze lingered a bit on the little flower in his buttonhole.

"... Indeed, Sir. It's rare enough for you to be on time – and now you arrive early even."

Her hand slipped from the zipper, but she didn't gave up. Hawkeye stepped into the room fully.

"Ah well, Edward got a little on my nerves – asking me question about my person all the time, so I kind of tried to get away.", he lied gulping down what he wanted to offer.

The captain slipped off again, cursing this time. Mustang opened his mouth but the words didn't want to get out.

"About Smith's call …" she began, his Captain looked him straight in the eyes – and slipped off yet again.

"Could you-" "Let me!" - Both of them spat out at the same time.

They looked each other, keeping silent for a moment – before both of them broke into laughter.

"May I?" Mustang offered with a smile.

"Yes, please. That would be great." she returned his smile genuinely.

Her superior came towards her, while she slowly turned her back to him. She could watch them in the big, oval mirror in the wardrobe door.

There it was. He could see the tattoo and the scars he himself had inflicted, framed by the beautiful dress. He felt his stomach clench and tingle at the same time.

He stood close behind her, she could almost feel the heat emanating from his body – just as he could feel hers. Mustang bit his lip.

".. Thank you. The zipper is just so small – it always escapes my fingers." She watched him in the mirror, seeing his eyes darken as his eyes flew over her back.

"... yeah it really is tiny. Anything but handy ..." he trailed off and got a hold of the tiny zipper.

"... thanks for not suggesting that I put on weight since the fitting." she said in an attempt to lighten up the sudden tense atmosphere.

The man behind her chuckled, but didn't look up from her back. He slowly moved up the zipper. His index finger grazed her skin in the process. She could feel his breath on her skin

"I'd never made a joke like that about you," he whispered in a low voice. "I know you're well armed."

He looked up and grinned at her reflection - the zipper reached the end with full force.

"... You said the same about jokes containing me and my armory. " she retorted and grinned at him slyly.

Mustang flinched at her statement. "Do you have to remember everything?" He reached for the button at the top of the zipper to secure that it won't open during the celebration later.

"It's a vital part of my job - to remember what you forget, Sir." his aide stated flatly.

He laughed, knowing fully well that she always won with her sharp comebacks. His fingers still rested on her neck: "Done."

"Thank you."

Neither moved.

They stood in place, neither speaking. They watched each other in the mirror. Not moving closer. Not pulling away.

Their appearances contrasted nicely, just as their personalities.

Mustang was the one to break the silence:

"... looks nice … your necklace.", he said while his eyes looked at the decollete of her reflection.

.ooOoOoOoOoOoOoOoo.

The young woman known as Emma Johnson cowered in the dark. Her hands were bleeding. The fresh blood trailed down her fingers, over the dried blood on her fingertips. Her cheeks had stopped bleeding a while ago. The blood in her face had dried as well, looking almost like war paint.

But she didn't cry anymore – instead she trembled. She let herself fall to the ground and pulled her legs close – the fetal position calmed her a little, but the trembling didn't stop.

She instinctively had run to this house. But she had no keys with her. She had broken in, smashing the window of the kitchen in the back. Some glass splints were still in the wounds – Emma hadn't bothered to take care of her injuries.

She had broken into her own home, but the person cowering there in the living room wasn't really aware of that. The memories in her head had let the way to this house – as a place to be safe.

The curtains were closed. The shelf that normally stood in the corner had been pushed in front of the window. The couch was tipped over and all doors were closed. All sunlight was shut out.

_'Don't forget – don't go around in the sunlight. Do you hear me? Light is bad. Darkness is your sanctuary.'_

The familiar voice ringed in her head.

_'She will find you.'_

The tears came again, the brunette was unable to to control herself.

_I waited so long. You'll come back. Where am I? It doesn't matter. You will find me here. Please. I know it's my fault._

She held her head tightly as she sobbed and rocked back and forth.

_Forgive me. Forgive me. Forgive me. I've been waiting so long. Still waiting. I'll always wait. But you will find me, my love. You have to. End this. Please._

_It hurts. I already forgot how this feels. But I always felt pain. Please. Come._

_I will wait for you._

.ooOoOoOoOoOoOoOoo.

Rebecca looked up the stairs like a lost puppy.

"Jeez, just go upstairs and get your stuff," Maria told her in an annoyed voice while she fixed her hair in front of the little mirror positioned on the table. "It's Riza we're talking about. If she say it's work, it **is** work."

Rebecca turned dramatically, one of her hair curlers loosening due to the sudden motion.

"Well, that's what I'm afraid of!"

Maria gave her a confused look: "I thought you didn't want to walk in on them … _not working_."

She waved the statement off.

"As if," she grinned. "But if I intrude while they talk about whatever Smith reported – chances are high I get dragged in and then it's 'Farewell precious free weekend!' and 'Goodbye party time!'" She stamped with her foot to emphasize the gravity of the matter.

"Care to explain?"

"Oh come on, I'll step in right when they agree that someone has to check matters in East City and _wham_ off I go!" she said while imitating a flying motion with her hands. "He has it in for me anyway."

Maria twitched on her hair at the back of her head, seemingly uninterested: "That's all in your head."

"It's not! That jerk of a Brigadier General almost denied my request for special leave so I couldn't come!"

"... ah right, you had used up all your free days when you're boyfriend left you – to wallow in your sorrow", the dark haired woman stated flatly, applying mascara.

"Don't bring that up now!" Rebecca whined.

"Just go up already. You'll be late if you don't hurry now."

The brunette looked up the stairs again.

" … I'll remove the face pack first" she said while heading to the bathroom.

.ooOoOoOoOoOoOoOoo.

Mustang had sat down on the chair besides the bed and watched as his Captain slipped into her white sandals.

He noticed that her toe nails were painted in a light pink, just as her finger nails. It went well with the light blue of her attire. Her nails were never painted on work days – it was prohibited.

"The eye witness identified the crying woman as Emma Johnson, the one that went missing two days ago. She stood right in front of him. But there were two weird things about their encounter."

Hawkeye sat up after closing the clasp of her right shoe.

"He said she was crying blood."

"Blood?" Mustang questioned surprised, shifting his gaze from her feet to her face.

"Yes, he claims blood streamed down her face. His wife confirmed that her face was full of blood in her interview."

He leaned back, looking at the ceiling, narrowing his eyes. "So chances are she had injuries in her face ..."

"Yes," the Captain agreed. "The second thing: According to our witness Ms. Johnson talked, but he didn't understand a word."

"Did she talk slurred or did she speak a different language altogether?"

"Judging from his testimony, I would say it was a different language. He didn't recognize a single word. Maverick plans on showing him samples of different languages in hope he recognizes it. Even so, it could be that she was talking simply gibberish. Lieutenant Maverick also wants to check Ms. Johnson's family background further, but as far as we know her family was Amestrian only. We also know for sure she speaks English – it's her mother tongue."

"Then why not speak it suddenly, right?"the man scratched his ear. "Has her fiancée been informed about her appearance?"

"Yes, he was very upset, but also relieved. He said she only speaks English, no other language."

Mustang kept silent, still looking at the ceiling. The Captain watched him, but didn't interrupt his train of thoughts.

"That's about it?" he asked.

Hawkeye nodded. "Yes, Sir."

Her superior breathed out heavily. "Now, that's neither bad or good news. I suppose we have no choice but to wait and see, hm? Let's keep it between us for the time being. There will be enough talk about the case as it is, we don't need more unnecessary speculation during the wedding."

"Understood." the Captain nodded in agreement.

There was a soft knock on the door. As it opened they could hear a whisper that strangely sounded like "... please be naked ...".

.ooOoOoOoOoOoOoOoo.

Edward examined himself in the mirror critically.

He wore an all black tailcoat. With a simple white shirt underneath, but you couldn't see much of it with the light beige vest over it. His tie had the same color and was tucked underneath the vest neatly. His black shoes were spotless – it was easy to see that they were brand new and that he wore them for the first time.

His hair was tied up with a white ribbon – in his usual ponytail, his hair hanging straight down in the back.

"Here!" Al stepped forward handing him a small white rose. He wore a similar attire, only that his vest was plain white and his tie light blue. Alphonse still kept his hair short; the way he and Mei liked it.

Ed took the flower and put it into his buttonhole. "Thanks, Al."

"Still nervous?"

"Dunno." He turned to make sure everything was also fine on his backside.

"You look great, brother."

"Everything were it belongs?"

"... you _are _still nervous. But yeah." he stepped a little back to avoid Ed's kick.

"I hope everything will go well …" Ed said facing the mirror again.

"Yeah," Al watched his brother intently. A little too intently.

"What?" the groom eyed his younger brother through the mirror.

"Ah it's nothing …" he said embarrassed, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

Ed straightened his vest for the hundredth time. "Spit it out."

The best man massaged his neck nervously. "Ah you know … it just feels like I should say something."

Ed turned, eyebrow raised: "Say something?"

"Yeaaaah," Alphonse still fidgeted around. "I mean, am I not supposed to? I mean you're about to marry! And as you're brother and best man … Even so I know that I'm the younger brother so ... how am I supposed to say something wise? I just-"

He got interrupted by his brother who snorted with laughter, holding his belly. Al couldn't believe the insensitiveness of his brother.

"I'm trying to be serious here!" Al snapped.

"Sorry, sorry … but that was just …" Ed still snickered.

"It's a special moment after all!" Alphonse pouted angrily.

"Yes, yes, thank you, Al." The groom had calmed down, but still grinned broadly.

Alphonse was let down by his brother's reaction, he truly had felt sentimental there. He gave him a condemning glare.

"Aw come on, Al." Edward came over to him and patted him on the shoulder.

"No really, Al," he looked him the eyes, his tone serious. "Thank you. That calmed me down."

"My pleasure then." Alphonse smiled. "Although that wasn't my intention ..."

"Do you want me to prepare some wise words for you when you marry? I'm the elder after all."

"I'd rather not. You are horrible with touching moments."

Edward stepped back, totally indignant. "What is that supposed to mean now?"

"You have zero tact, Ed. I'd rather have you keep you're mouth shut the whole time." the best man said bluntly.

"Hey! Now you're going overboard!"

A dark haired head appeared in the door – Sig fitted just under the door frame:

"Are you boys ready yet? It's time soon."

The young men were startled and looked at their watches.

"Wah! It's almost time!" Alphonse exclaimed surprised.

"We're- We're ready, Sig. Thank you." Ed's voice was high pitched, but firm.

The huge man nodded and left them alone again.

Ed turned to the mirror a last time, a broad smile on his face:

"It's time!"

* * *

_**Notes:**_

Thank you for reading this far!~ .. there are some reading, right? xD

Special thanks to **Oakleaf** again for being so kind to leave a review every time :3

We're in the middle of act one now (I roughly divided the story in three acts) so things will truly start soon.

If you have the time and feel like it, you are allowed to leave feedback (good or bad) ;P I won't whip you for doing so … unless you want me to! :D


	6. Here Comes The Bride

**Thank you so much** for the reviews and alerts! You know who you are! Like the awesome **Oakleaf**!  
I'm very happy about every single one :3  
Makes me even more sorry for the late update! Because I really am T_T I'm so sorry!

But good news:  
This is the very first chapter that was proof read! Yeah, went into the wild and fetched myself a beta reader! It is the very awesome **IzumiTheMoogle**. BIG thanks to you, my fellow moogle lover!

* * *

**Chapter 6:**

**Here comes the bride**

The big white tent was already buzzing with noise. Many seats were already taken and people wandered in groups looking for vacant seats next to each other. The lively chatter of the many people could be heard from far away and the good mood of the crowd resonated with the blend of voices. Everyone was dressed up nicely and the dresses of the women provided colorful spots inside of the tent, interrupting the mass of black and white that was formed by the many suits and the bright tent that framed the whole scene. The flowers served as colorful spots as well – there were only small ones decorating every row of seats towards the aisle, but two huge bouquets in the front where the happy couple would soon exchange vows.

Mustang peered into the tent only to be immediately spotted by First Lieutenant Havoc, who stood up with the help of his crutches and waved at him enthusiastically – signaling him that he reserved spots right next to him while he did so. His superior acted like he didn't notice the hysterical man and turned on his heels, slowly going back to his Captain. She however was just commanding her dog to sit and keep watch next to the hall's entrance. Mustang was always astonished how well trained the dog was – he never left watch duty. And didn't move an inch the whole time. Black Hayate sat there with a serious expression and a broad chest; as if he tried to look grand. The Brigadier General had to chuckle at himself for seeing expressions on a dog's face, but it always amused him how the dog reacted to his master.

"You think it's fine to just let him stay here? You could tie him in the back with Den."

She turned to him, withdrawing her attention from her dog. "He does it all the time. But it's a good exercise anyway, with all the people here. He can roam around and play enough later. Some of us already there?"

"No," the man lied. "Didn't see anyone we know. Still not many seats taken, so how about we go and look around a bit?"

"I don't really mind, but maybe we should reserve a few seats for Rebecca and the lot – save for her most of them were about to be ready." Hawkeye replied, pulling at the little blue bolero she had put on to cover all of her back. The dress would show a bit when she moved. It suited really well and due to the mini jacket the fully covered back looked natural.

"Nah, I'm sure Havoc reserved some, no need to worry." He offered her his arm before taking the stairs. Hawkeye took it despite being relieved to finally have solid ground under her high heeled sandals again.

"I wonder why we went ahead then …" She 'marveled' as they climbed the stairs.

"Because I didn't want to bother the lovely ladies more than I already did with my presence of course." He responded with a big grin. "And you as my loyal subordinate are so kind to keep me company, since you were ready anyway."

"Oh I wouldn't risk letting you feel lonely, Sir." Hawkeye said mockingly while giving him a sharp glare from the side.

Mustang chose to ignore her sarcastic undertone and opened the door to the hall for her:

"Was last night fun? There were quite a few empty bottles scattered about in the house."

"It was," she answered as she entered. "But I bet not as wild as your night."

He could only chuckle nervously as he followed her, praying the guys won't tell too much later.

.ooOoOoOoOoOoOoOoo.

"He totally saw me!"

Havoc huffed about being ignored by his superior.

"I bet he came with the girls and is hoarding them now." Breda - sitting next to him - grinned, amused about how hyper Havoc was today. But he understood why.

Fuery as the kind guy he was – honestly believed otherwise: "Oh I'm sure he just didn't see you. There are many people here already after all."

The technician sat to Breda's right.

"Too bad that First Lieutenant Falman really didn't make it to the ceremony." He continued.

"Ah, the most important thing is that he makes it to the party! That's the fun part after all!" Breda pointed out, still smirking.

Havoc joined in, grinning just as much:"Yeah, weddings are the best place to meet women! They are totally in the mood for romance with all this romantic stuff around."

"And you can ask them to dance and show it off as good manners." Breda imitated a little bow, accompanied by his 'lady killer' expression.

"And it also helps that they drink!" Havoc's eyes were full of determination.

Fuery wasn't as excited. Both his colleagues noticed and turned to him, eying him seriously.

Breda put his hand on his shoulder: "Fuery, you too! You can't let an opportunity like this just run through your fingers!"

"But ..." the younger officer wanted to protest but no argument that would convince them came to mind.

"If it's about that girl from the Military Police Department again-" Breda started, making Fuery blush instantly. "You aren't dating. You haven't even asked her out! You can use the experience! So next time you might actually not just freeze once she enters the room."

Fuery was too embarrassed to retort and thanked the heavens for the interruption:

"My dear colleagues!" They were greeted by a half naked Alex Luis Armstrong and the sparkling that always accompanied him.

Denny Brosh was right behind him, in an extremely good mood. He had already changed into a simple suit with a bow tie around his neck.

"Yo, guys! Are the seats here taken?"

Mustang's men immediately saw why Denny grinned like an idiot and didn't ask where Maria Ross was before anything else – a woman, definitely older but strikingly beautiful walked arm in arm with him. It was Mary West.

"Ah! My, hello!" She greeted the men with a dazzling smile. Their mouths were agape – the sight was quite impressive as you looked up at the tall woman from their sitting position. "I'm Mary West, I'm the singer the lovely Elric couple hired. I needed a little pause from all that preparation rubbish, so I thought I might as well watch the ceremony. The guys will be helpless without my guidance, but I couldn't stand their dumbness any minute longer! And when Alex and the sweet Denny," She squeezed Warrant Officer's arm as she said that. "came around the corner it was like the heavens told me to take a break! Also, the kids will never grow up and handle it themselves if I always watch over them, no?"

Mary chuckled into her hand and the men joined her and laughed along, but none had really listened to her talk – they had rather watched the hypnotic movement of her chest while she spoke and gestured. Save for Armstrong – he admired her feather boa.

.ooOoOoOoOoOoOoOoo.

Even though the ceremony would begin soon the hall was still pretty busy. People ran around with pots and tableware. Others moved chairs to perfect the seating arrangement.

"For a community center of a little village, this is quite impressive." Mustang whistled as he inspected the ceiling.

The soft lighting complimented the white and red decoration on the dark wood. The small flower bouquets on the tables and the bigger pots in the corners and at the pillars added to the classy and romantic atmosphere.

"I'm sure the bride picked everything out and forbid Fullmetal to make a single decision." he laughed, amused by the thought.

"Aren't you in a good mood today?" Hawkeye stated in a playful voice while she crossed her arms and followed his gaze. "It does look really nice."

"I don't have a reason not to be." He smiled at her as they went to the stairs. "Looks like you can look down from up there."

The second floor had a corridor that was partly open towards the hall. You could lean on the railing and observe everything below. They climbed up and did exactly that.

The musicians seemed to have a dispute about the placements of the instruments. They gestured wildly and placed an instrument at one spot, only to push it somewhere else again. They also had to give up their idea to move the piano; it was too heavy.

"I don't mind if no one sees me!" a tiny man suddenly screamed and ran into the corridor next to the stage. Over the open door hung a sign saying 'Ladies & Gents'.

"Is he going to drown himself in the toilet?" Mustang chuckled.

"No, I think he fled for good." The blonde guessed.

One of the band members screamed after the midget: "Ricky, you good for nothing coward! Come back here!"

"Through the toilet window or what?" The dark haired man questioned, turning to her.

"Through the door. There is another exit right there, next to the toilets. It's supposedly there since there is a storage room at the other end of the corridor – filled with anything they had needed sometime. That way workers or whoever don't need to go through the hall when they need tools outside and can get out quicker." She explained, not turning to her superior, but watching the dispute below closely.

"Been here before?"

"Hmm." She hummed. "Yesterday with Pinako. We took a little detour when we walked our dogs. She wanted to make sure there was enough furniture ready."

"I see." He continued to look at her.

"Is there something on my face?" Hawkeye didn't move her head but fixated him with her eyes.

"No." Mustang grinned again.

She knew there was something on his mind. But she also knew that he wasn't going to tell what exactly. Hawkeye asked despite being aware of that: "What is it then?"

He just looked at her for a bit longer before he answered: "You're in a good mood today, too."

"I guess I am." she sighed and pushed herself away from the railing. "It's a special occasion after all."

"And that it's a free weekend helps, too." He chuckled like he always did, but his eyes seemed distant as if he thought about something he couldn't grasp.

"Certainly." Hawkeye agreed nevertheless, but kept an eye on him. Most of the time he was an open book to her, but at times like this she had no idea what was going on in that stubborn head of his. She continued: "But I expect the guests to not let us be, since our case made the headlines recently."

"Yeah, but it won't be the whole evening. No one wants the happy occasion to be sad suddenly, right?"

"Ah, Brigadier General! And the Captain, too. That's good, I wanted to talk to you."

Work never rests, especially when a maniac is involved.

.ooOoOoOoOoOoOoOoo.

"It's an injury from years ago? Oh my!"

Mary had sat down to Havoc's left and gave him a lot of attention, leaving Brosh pouting next to her.

"Yeah," Jean smiled goofily. "The Brigadier General had me specially treated – but the rehab still took a lot of time and nerves. I'm happy to be on my own feet again, though. I made a lot of progress!"

Mary leaned in closer, barely whispering with her eyebrows raised: "Special treatment?"

"Uh yes," Jean was startled by the sudden closeness and missed her face while looking down. He really loved big boobs. The Lieutenant leaned to her too and whispered just as low as her:

"It's top secret, madam."

He made a serious face to impress her and to highlight his importance.

She laughed, hitting his leg softly: "Oh you! I'm really lucky to be surrounded by so many good looking soldiers!"

"We're happy to keep you company." Denny smiled and placed his hand on her shoulder, desperately trying to get her attention again.

"You're so kind, Denny! And you already brought it on yourself to bring me and the lot here – together with the charming Alex of course." she nodded to Armstrong who sat a row behind them, taking up more space than a single chair had to offer.

"Oh it's nothing really." Denny said and his gaze fell to her décolleté again. "Uh you have a really nice locket there! It's real gold isn't it?"

Mary smiled slightly, before she opened her mouth: "Yes, it is. Thank you. It used to be my husband's. Was in his family for generations. He'd love that I kept it."

She took the oversized and round locket in her hands and stroked it lovingly.

Denny reached out for it: "It's really pretty-"

Before Havoc could smack him with one of his crutches, Denny got hit with something more deadly …

"Hello Denny, good that you made it in time." Maria's voice was ice cold. She had arrived together with Rebecca and a few other women the men didn't know.

.ooOoOoOoOoOoOoOoo.

Izumi Curtis came running towards Mustang and Hawkeye; her husband not with her. It was a surprising sight.

"… Am I disturbing you?" the housewife asked when she saw the faces of the two officers.

They shouldn't have said it out loud.

"No, no." Mustang waved her question aside. "We were just talking about that people will ask about the case. It was a bit like you've been summoned."

"I'm not a scandal hungry dimwit, Brigadier General." Izumi stood with her hands on her hips, eying the man sharply.

Mustang smiled nervously – he knew the fiery woman and her temper very well. "Oh no! I didn't say you were, Mrs. Curtis."

"What is the matter, Mrs. Curtis?" Hawkeye interrupted, knowing just as well herself that Mustang's flattery and prince charming persona wouldn't work on the woman in front of them.

She shifted her gaze to the blonde and pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket:

"I hoped to be able to tell you about it before the ceremony. Crimes aren't really a nice thing to discuss on a wedding."

Mustang took the paper – it was a fraction of an old newspaper.

"'I was the victim of aliens!'?" Mustang read the headline and raised an eyebrow. Hawkeye came closer to look at it, too. Next to the article was a picture of a woman in her thirties.

"Yeah, it's nonsense, but the details in the interview-" Izumi pointed to a few lines that she had marked with a pen. "It's from a newspaper in the south. I don't think the news ever made it to the east or out of the region anyway."

"'... I can't remember how they looked, but I remember how they attacked me at night. It was too fast, but they jumped on me, I still remember how they hit me on the forehead... I suddenly wasn't myself anymore; I was pushed far away and could only look while I had to do their bidding…

It was like I was in a living coma! … They put a control device into me to spy on us from within! … Sometimes they spoke to me. Telling me they don't want to harm me. … I found myself in a different town when the device was taken out. Or it just ran out of battery… I could remember everything – the whole time, it was just a little cloudy. But with time I could remember everything very clear! ...'"

The officers flew over the article. Once they were done with their overview they looked at the housewife inquiringly.

"She was reported missing. She took her stuff and was gone one day. It took a while until it was discovered that she was missing. Her boss wondered why she didn't come to work without saying a word. No family and single." Izumi tipped one of the boxes next to the article. It said 'About Rachel' and contained some personal information.

"There were two others in the south region that went missing – and then claimed they hadn't been in control of their own actions when they returned. One even hopped on the alien intruders bandwagon." She grinned as the eyes of the officers widened. "Rings a bell doesn't it?"

"I've never heard of these cases." Mustang stated, his eyes scanning the article a second time.

"You couldn't unless someone from south would mention it. It was only the three people and it was only mentioned in the regional newspaper. They also were regarded as nonsense by the military police."

"How do you know the details of the case?" Hawkeye wondered. "The public doesn't know anything beyond missing people that return after a while."

"My darling and I went to East City a few weeks ago to go shopping for Edward's and Winry's wedding present – and to meet a few friends. South City doesn't have so many nice boutiques as East City does. Well, we ran into one or two of your officers … "The housewife grinned, telling them through it that she wouldn't give away the names of her sources.

"I see ..." Mustang said. "I thank you sincerely for this information; it might be a great help."

Hawkeye couldn't find the date or name: "From which newspaper is this?"

"'Southern Mirror', the issue from two days ago. I read it on the train when we were headed to East City. It hit me then that it's a bit fishy that the disappearances are so similar. Most of you people were already gone from East City, so I thought it could wait a day. There is nothing really new anyway. It just immediately reminded me of what certain officers had told me about your case here, so-"

"Thank you, again. We might have never heard of this without you." Mustang folded the article and slipped it into the inside pocket of his blazer.

"AH!" Alphonse stormed towards them. "What are you still doing here? There's only 10 minutes before the ceremony begins!"

All three looked down at the watch that hung over the main entrance of the hall, perplexed about how much time had already passed.

"Ha ha, we were just as shocked when Sig reminded us that it was only 20 minutes until zero hour. Didn't he pass here?" Al looked around as if it was possible to miss the big man on first glance.

"He already went downstairs. I wanted to check on Winry before I followed him." Izumi pointed over her shoulder with her thumb, in the direction of the room down the corridor.

"You look great Sensei!" the young man complimented with a wide smile. "You look wonderful, too Captain!"

"Ah I guess changing was worth it after all, huh?" Izumi said in flattered voice, happy about the compliment.

Hawkeye smiled at him: "Thank you, Alphonse."

The door down the corridor burst open-

"AH!" Mei stormed towards them. "What are you still doing here? There's only 5 minutes before the ceremony begins!"

.ooOoOoOoOoOoOoOoo.

The last people had rushed into the tent and squeezed themselves past the already seated guests. Mustang had ignored Havoc once again and pulled his Captain to seats opposite to where his other subordinates were seated.

Alphonse rushed through the tent one last time, making sure everything was ready. The string players of the big band were ready in one of the corners – including the now calm again Ricky.

Everyone was seated.

The chaplain gave him a nod that told Al that he was ready as well.

He exited the tent to find Ed and the Curtis couple. Ed looked nervous, but determined. He breathed in and out heavily, murmuring to himself.

Mei leaned out of the main entrance of the hall and gave the best man a thumbs up – the girls were ready, too.

"Ed, everyone is ready."

Edward didn't answer; he just nodded and went into his starting position.

Alphonse eyed the head musician and raised his arm up high – thus giving him the starting signal.

It finally began – 30 minutes late.

.ooOoOoOoOoOoOoOoo.

The soft music started and all heads turned to the entrance of the bright tent.

Edward slowly strode down the aisle. He could feel the wood under the red carpet which made it easier to walk on. More so he could feel all eyes on him. And his heart beating so fast he was afraid it might just explode in his chest.

But he reached the end without stumbling and turned in front of the platform on which the clerk awaited him.

He could see Gracia in the first row beaming at him.

The music continued and Sig and Izumi appeared on the carpet, slowly treading down towards him. Edward had to smile when he thought back to the time Al and he had asked them to take the place of their parents in the ceremony, both of them had been so touched – he would swear that his ice cold Sensei had hidden a tear or two.

They reached the end as well and took their place beside him.

Then came Pinako – who had refused vehemently to be accompanied by someone - and pranced down the aisle proudly. She smiled at Edward before she went to the other side.

Alphonse and Mei – arm in arm – followed, walking down the aisle slowly. Mei smiled like crazy, happy as if it was her own wedding.

They parted in front of Ed – Al placed himself next to him and Mei stopped next to Pinako, taking her place as the bride's maid.

She had cried when Winry had asked her to be her bride's maid. The two girls got along so well, it was sometimes plain scary. Edward also knew that Winry strongly hoped that Mei would become an Elric too, someday …

The music changed.

The groom swallowed hard and fixed the entrance nervously.

Elicia – wearing an adorable pink dress – entered and joyfully threw flower petals in the air and on the carpet. The basket that contained the flower petals had a huge pink ribbon around it. She jumped a little whenever she threw a batch.

And then she came.

Winry.

His Winry emerged – in her white dress.

All air was suddenly gone. All that was left was her.

She slowly strode towards him. Her dress was wonderful – it was neither too simple nor too extravagant. She wore a small veil, but it didn't cover her face – it hung over her hair. Her blonde locks were put up artistically, only in the front a few strands hung loose, framing her face. Her makeup was light as it always was, but still special. The bouquet in her hand was a mix of white roses and flowers in many colors that grew around the area. They had picked flowers of that kind when they were little.

She also wore a beautiful diamond necklace Pinako had given to her. She and Winry's mother had worn it on their wedding day.

Edward and Winry looked each other in the eyes as she came closer and closer. She smiled.

Once she arrived at the end of the aisle Edward took her hand and together they turned around to the clerk as the music stopped, the last note slowly fading away.

"May we begin?"

* * *

**Notes:**  
Weddings never begin on time~

_Thank you for keeping on reading!_

The chapters become longer and longer D: But I guess it's not a bad thing or is it?  
Seriously, the outline always looks so much shorter XD To the point I worry if it'll be long enough ...

_Reviews_ – good or bad – are very welcomed. Praise and nag to your heart's content! Either makes me happy~ The whip offer still stands if you are interested :P

Hope to see you next time as well!

Love, peace and whips,  
the striped one


	7. Meant For You

**Author rambling: **The ceremony isn't supposed to mirror our real customs, so please bear with me if the ceremony is different in order or phrasing from what you expect/know. There is no Christianity in FMA so please don't hold the lack of accuracy against me :). It's just for the looks and association anyway.

.ooOoOoOoOoOoOoOoo.

**Chapter 7:**

**Meant For You**

"I, Edward Elric, take you Winry Rockbell, to be my wife, my trusted partner, and my one true love."

Edward had began his vow, lips were trembling as he spoke.

"I will cherish our friendship and love you today, tomorrow, and forever. In the presence of our family and friends, I offer you my solemn vow to be yours, well and truly. In sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, and in joy as well as in sorrow. I promise to love you unconditionally, to support you in your goals, to honor and respect you, to laugh with you and cry with you, and to cherish you for as long as we both shall live.

Whatever may come I will always be there. Even when apart. As I have given you my hand to hold, so I give you my life to keep.

Or at least 85 % of it."

He grinned at his bride who was the only one who understood – and squeezed his hand a little too hard because of that. Edward blushed a little and his hands became even sweatier than they already were – it was time for his personal part:

"You gave me a leg to stand on. You've been my support through all these years. … You gave me strength when I had none left. You are my friend, you are my family ... you are my love."

It was easy to notice how hard it was for Ed to recite his personal vow. His voice was shaky, but his eyes didn't leave hers.

"I know you hate me mentioning it, but: Equivalent Exchange. I'll give everything back. But just as you turned that rule over, I will too – I will add double. So please give me the honor of becoming your husband!"

He looked at her with the same weird, but determined look he had given her when he had proposed.

Armstrong sobbed loudly, not able to muffle it anymore. He had been crying silently since Winry had walked down the aisle. Maria next to him, scolded him and told him to be quiet – but was silently crying into a tissue herself.

Winry had looked calm and collected, only her watery eyes giving away that a tornado of emotions was whirling inside of her. She smiled at Edward while she spoke:

"I, Winry Rockbell, take you, Edward Elric, to be my husband, my trusted partner and my one true love. I will cherish our friendship and love you today, tomorrow, and forever.

In the presence of our family and friends, I offer you my solemn vow to be yours, well and truly. In sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, and in joy as well as in sorrow. I promise to love you unconditionally, to support you in your goals, to honor and respect you, to laugh with you and cry with you, and to cherish you for as long as we both shall live.

Whatever may come I will always be there. Even when apart. As I have given you my hand to hold, so I give you my life to keep.

And you bet I'll return the damn double, too!"

The whole room started to laugh. Neither of the couple had changed.

She exhaled and squeezed Ed's hand again – more lovingly this time, then she continued:

"Edward, we've been friends since I can remember back. You know me better than anyone else. I love you more than anyone else in the whole world." The bride blushed as she said the last part. "I want to stay by your side. My life is yours, forever."

"This is too wonderful!"

"Shhhhh!"

Elbow met ribs.

The elbow was driven with a lot of force since it wouldn't connect with the ribs buried under all the muscle otherwise. Maria still sobbed herself, though. Denny turned back to hand her another tissue but she slapped his hand away. The young officer whimpered – not off the hook yet. Mary (as amused she was by the situation) gave his girlfriend a new handkerchief instead – that one was accepted without complaint.

Winry held Ed's hand tight – his hand and his eyes were the only thing that was left of the world in that moment, everything else was just a blur and far away.

The chaplain cleared his throat:

"Now that you have exchanged your personally chosen vows, I will ask you, in the presence of the heavens and all these witnesses:

Edward Elric, do you take the here present Winry Rockbell to be your lawfully wedded wife?. To love and cherish, in sickness and in health, for better or for worse – so long as you both shall live?"

Edward's gaze still didn't leave her eyes, a smile starting to form on his lips:

"I do."

Winry beamed back at him, repeating an inner mantra of 'No crying! No crying! No crying, it'll ruin the make up!' silently.

"I will ask you now," The clerk turned to Winry. "in the presence of the heavens and all these witnesses: Winry Rockbell, do you take the here present Edward Elric to be your lawfully wedded husband? To love and cherish, in sickness and in health, for better or for worse – so long as you both shall live?"

"I do."

"Then you shall! I hereby proclaim you husband and wife! The rings please."

Al and Mei stepped towards the couple – Mei had eyes just as watery as the bride's – and handed the rings over to their owners.

Edward's eyes were soft as he gently pulled Winry's left hand towards him and slipped the platinum band on her ring finger – it fit perfectly as if it belonged there.

Winry's smile grew wider and she raised her newly decorated hand to stroke his cheek briefly.

Pinako "The Pantheress" Rockbell started to sob, losing her nonchalant demeanor after all. Elicia, who sat next to her and grinned immensely, stroked the old woman's back.

The bride took her groom's hand and put on his ring as well – it fit perfectly, too. It was meant to be there.

"You may kiss the bride, now. Congratulat-"

Before the man could finish Winry practically jumped her now husband and fetched herself the kiss that sealed their union.

Their audience cheered and clapped their hands. A small percentage of them desperately looked for another handkerchief while they did so.

.ooOoOoOoOoOoOoOoo.

"I'm so happy for you! Congratulations!" Elma, a lady in her fifties, hugged Winry tightly, closely followed by her husband who gave Edward an approving pat on the shoulder.

"All the best." He said. The newlyweds knew the couple for a long time; they were the inn keepers.

"Thank you, for keeping so many of our guests!" Ed grinned broadly – he just couldn't stop, even though the wave of congratulations had already taken an eternity.

"Don't mention it, we earn a fortune with the folk." The older man said with a loud laugh following.

They were the last ones in the queue. Edward and Winry finally had been squeezed and congratulated by all of their guests. Winry pulled at Ed's hand and looked at him expectantly – he understood and gave her a quick kiss on the lips.

Winry grinned at him and traced down his chest with her left hand before she turned to the crowd that had formed in front of the tent:

"My dear single ladies! Please step forward!" The bride saw Elicia pulling her mother's hand, but she refused. "Come on, come on! Don't be shy, it's a command by the bride! Come on and let's see who is the one to catch my wonderful bouquet and be married next!"

A few giggling girls form the village gathered, partly pulling each other to the front. Paninya and Kafriel had stormed forward, giggling just as much. Rebecca had succeeded in bringing Maria with her. She hadn't found Riza, though. She stealthily had positioned herself in the far back – but she hadn't expected Mustang to not play along:

"HERE!" he shouted so loud the people in the next village could hear it. "Here is still a lovely single lady!" He pointed at his Captain and pushed her forward. The people from the crowd ignored her declining words and shoved her to the front, once she was in reach Rebecca got a hold of her – grinning evilly and giving a thumbs up to Mustang. These were the only times they got along: When they joined forces to make Riza do something she sternly refused to do.

Hawkeye mouthed something to Mustang – whatever it was it made him flinch and smile nervously.

"Alright!" Winry said and turned her back to the ladies. Among them were Pinako and Mei as well as a few young girls from the village – and Elicia. She had tucked one of the rose petals behind her ear.

"Okay, girls!" she firmly held her flowers and silently said goodbye to them.

"3"

Some of the girls pushed each other to be in the front. Ross and Hawkeye stood in the last line, not looking very enthusiastic.

"2"

Rebecca fixed her gaze on the flowers with a desperate look on her face.

"1"

Winry bent her knees to prepare for the throw.

"Catch!"

The bouquet flew high, making the girls that aimed for it trip to the left and right. But the falling curve was wider than they had expected – it flew directly to the very end of the mob. Both Hawkeye and Maria watched in disbelief as the bouquet flew towards them – right between them. The other females watched in horror; the uninterested women only had to stretch out their hand and it was theirs.

And really, the bouquet landed in her hand. She merely had held it up and the flowers landed in it as if they were supposed to land there from the very beginning.

Riza still had her arms crossed, she hadn't moved at all and just had watched with widened eyes as the flowers landed in Maria's palm, right into their middle.

There was silence for a moment before the crowd broke out into cheering and clapping.

The bride pulled herself out of her short trance and joined in the cheering: "Maria Ross, you're next! Don't forget to invite me, too!"

Winry laughed, but her thoughts were still elsewhere.

For a moment she actually had believed it would land in Riza's arms and she was taken aback by the memory of their little talk in the morning …

_'A life like that … isn't meant for me.'_

She watched as Mustang snuck up on Riza while she said something to Maria with an encouraging pat on the shoulder. Maria stood there perplexed and just looked at the flowers in her hands.

"Winry? Are you alright?" Ed took her hand in his and eyed her critically.

She nodded and leaned into him. "Yeah, just spaced out for a moment."

She smiled at him.

"I'm an Elric now, too." She stated simply.

"Yup." He smiled back and wrapped his other arm around her waist.

Denny felt brave and stepped forward, smiling nervously at his – hopefully still – girlfriend.

"Uh ... I … I wouldn't have expected you to participate!" He immediately wished he could go back in time and bite his tongue off before it was too late. Or a bit further so she wouldn't catch him being so idiotic to flirt with another woman.

But Maria didn't snap at him. She calmly looked from the flowers to him – back to the flowers and again to him, sighed heavily and said:

"Ah, whatever ... It'll do." she slowly paced past Denny. "Come on, let's go to our table."

He followed her, earnestly wondering if things had changed for better or for worse just now.

.ooOoOoOoOoOoOoOoo.

The hall was busy again. The newlywed couple had sat down at the long table in the front – besides the stage and the dance floor. Al, Mei, Izumi, Sig and Pinako sat down to their left and right. Edward and Winry grinned broadly, relieved that the ceremony had went well – just starting to feel at ease as the pressure slowly rolled off them. And of course they were simply happy.

They were husband and wife now.

Edward spoke under his breath, so low only Winry could hear:

"You look breathtakingly wonderful today."

His bride looked at him in shock.

"What?" He scowled at the lack of positive reaction.

"... I'm not used to you being so … so … husbandish." She stuttered, not finding the right word. "I'm not used to you being smooth and all. It scares me, Ed!"

"Then don't complain ever again that I'm 'as charming as a rock and as subtle as a steam train'!" Ed quoted her, huffy.

"You're being a very charming rock today, though … " She caressed his leg under the table as she trailed off.

"... It's our wedding and all … I want it to be perfect … for you." He uttered in a low and squeaky voice, while he avoided looking at her and looked the other way instead.

A sigh escaped his lips when the caressing of her hand reached the end of his leg …

"... I'll be sure to pay you back, darling." She aspirated in his ear. "Double as much of course."

Ed swallowed hard, but was turned off as quick as he had been turned on. He spotted Izumi – his freaking teacher and surrogate parent – do something very similar with her husband – right to his right.

Elicia lost hold of the red balloon she was in the middle of blowing up and it flew through the room, past the stage and landed on the 'special' table, losing all its air in the process.

"Aw! It was already so big!" Elicia cried.

Winry noticed her husband's sudden whimpering: "What?"

"Nothing ..."

The officers, that were on the other side of the dance floor, observed the couple in awe. At least some of them.

"Ah! Look at them, so in love!" Rebecca watched the couple in front of them as they whispered to each other. "Love is so wonderful ..."

A waiter passed – Rebecca stopped him by the wrist, handed him her wine glass and commanded him:

"Fill that."

"Uhm, Miss … we aren't allowed to bring out the drinks yet. The first round will be very soon. I'm sorr-"

"FILL THAT." The menacing aura that suddenly appeared around her was like hellish flames meant to devour him. "I want to drink to celebrate the **love** of the happy couple!"

The waiter looked at her in horror and seemed to wonder if playing dead might make her spare him.

"... Of course. Just a moment!" He stammered before fleeing.

Her colleagues decided against commenting – they knew better than that. Her single existence was a sensitive issue.

The military people were all seated at the same table. Gracia wasn't with them. She sat with a few other parents and together they watched their children play. Elicia had a blue balloon now.

But the playing and all conversations were put on hold as the stage became busy.

The musicians positioned themselves and a man the guys that had been at the bachelor party last night knew very well climbed up the stage, too.

"Ladies and Gentlemen! Especially sexy, single ladies!" John began. He stood on the stage in the front and spoke into the microphone.

The majority of the guests had found their table in the hall and had settled – the last ones came down the stairs after they had put away their coats in the specially prepared room upstairs.

"I will be your host tonight! Feel free to call me John!" He winked at the women at the military table. "Our program today will be very varied. An evening full of adventure and fun awaits you, my dear guests! Firstly I present you the lovely Mary West and the 'Heavy Beats' – her wonderful big band."

Edward took Winry by the hand and led her to the middle of the dance floor. His smile was gone again, and he had a concentrated look on his face as he went through the dancing steps a last time in his mind.

John continued while the couple got into their starting position: "They frequently perform in the well known 'Red Barrel' in East City. We're lucky to have them today!" The brown haired man clapped into his hands and retreated as Mary West stepped out of the shadows of the stage and floated towards the microphone – she had changed clothes. She now wore a dark red and long dress – but it had a slit at the side that went from the floor up to her hips. She had exchanged her red feather boa for a dark purple one and her hair was put up now. She still wore the golden locket around her neck, it drew even more focus to her already emphasized décolleté.

The audience clapped and whistled – the latter was executed by a few of the village's young men.

"I greet you on this wonderful day, my loves." Mary spoke into the microphone, her vibrant voice resonating through the room. Her voice was like the musical version of good whiskey running down your throat.

"The guys and I will perform today for you – and of course for the lovely Mr. and Mrs. Elric!" She opened her arms dramatically, as if she spread out invisible wings. The guests clapped at the 'Mrs.' part.

"We began with a traditional dance and song you all will know. And as tradition demands our newlyweds open the dance together!"

The guests clapped once again, even more joyful.

"Once the singing part begins you are free – and obligated," Mary winked at the officers to her left. "To go and join them!"

She signaled the band leader to begin. He counted down from four and as the first notes hit, Mary spoke her last line for now:

"I present you: The handsome Mr. Edward Elric and his beautiful wife Mrs. Winry Elric!"

.ooOoOoOoOoOoOoOoo.

"_For youuuu~"_

As the string players let the last tone trail off together with Mary's wonderful voice the audience erupted in applause.

Heymans Breda even let his fork and knife fall to clap.

The band continued to play with a slow song, but Mary left the stage. They only had stopped for half an hour when the buffet had been opened and resumed before the first guests reached the dessert.

The music was well received and the dance floor was always busy until people went and got their food.

Denny and Maria had conquered the dance floor again right after they finished eating and returned now to their table to drink.

"Is that your third plate?" Maria raised an eyebrow as she examined the pile on Breda's plate.

"Oh, Lieutenant!" Breda exclaimed, resuming his eating. "I'm a gentleman – I neither count lovers, nor do I count steaks!"

Maria sat down on the chair right next to him that Denny pulled out for her with a big grin.

"I can imagine the latter, but I won't believe the former." She shot in a calm voice.

"And what is _your_ problem?" Maria looked past Breda to Havoc who rolled his head on the table, sighing like an old maiden in love with the post man.

He only answered with a whimper.

"He's sulking because the waitress rebuffed him before he could even hit on her." Roy said, delighted from the opposite side of the table.

"… It's not just that." Jean uttered weakly. Maria could swear that she could see a tear glistening in the corner of his right eye. "It sucks."

"What does?"

"THIS!" Jean suddenly jumped up and shook his fist dramatically. "This is torture! Weddings are there to pick up a hot bridesmaid … But! I can't dance with my crutches! I can't just go – no excuse me – **limp** over to a babe and ask her for the next dance. It's the perfect chance and I can't!"

Tears streamed down the blonde's face as he collapsed back on his chair and let his crutches slide to the ground.

Heymans and Kain put a hand on his shoulder and nodded to show their sympathy.

"Thank you." Maria nodded to the waitress that refilled her wine glass and then turned to Jean again: "Then just go to the bar and hit on girls there."

Denny nodded in agreement: "Yeah, yeah, go to the source of what makes them be interested in you to begin with."

"Hey there!" The man in question barked.

"But it's a good suggestion! Go and whine there; chicks love that." Heymans nudged him with his elbow to reinforce his point.

"True." Riza agreed to the surprise of the rest of the table.

"How so?" Roy, who sat to her left, raised an eyebrow, but grinned. His captain rarely gave flirting tips.

She sipped at her red wine while she gazed at the miserable man opposite from her:

"They'll ask why he has the crutches. He'll _modestly_ answer that it's an injury from battle. Girls will be all over him. He'll have a hard time picking. Happy end for Havoc." Her explanation was short but efficient – Jean seemed to recover his determination that he had before the actual party started and sat up.

"The bar it is!" He shouted, glee showing on his face, and immediately stood up and hurried to the bar.

.ooOoOoOoOoOoOoOoo.

Emerson Chadwick walked down the streets of East City with his head hanging down and his hands in his pockets. He clenched his right to a tight fist, while he massaged the diamond ring with his left. It was all he still had left of her. She had left him. His Emma didn't even leave a note. Only her ring was found at the back of the Museum she worked at.

He stopped.

No. Emma would never do that. If she really didn't want to marry him she would have told him. He was all she had, just as she was all he had left.

Someone did something to her. Someone took her away. He was sure of it.

The Military Police seemed to think that, too. They didn't give any details, but they actually thought her disappearance could be linked to this weird case that started to be the hot topic in the news lately.

Emerson felt the tears welling up again, but fought it. His eyes were still red from the questioning at the military police station earlier.

She's alive.

She hadn't been killed – that was all that mattered.

But she couldn't be well. She had been bleeding and hadn't been able to ask for help even.

Why did this have to happen? They had been so happy. Planning their honeymoon, their future, their happiness.

Before he realized where his feet where carrying him, he stood in front of her house. Her small house that was all but dept what her father had left her with.

They had wanted to live there together and start a family of their own. A warm family that wouldn't abandon its members.

He opened the garden gate and walked to the front door. He had no key, but the routine of walking up there was soothing. Just as if he was picking her up for a date.

He caressed the blue door – and froze. There were scratches. And there was a dent at the bottom of it.

Emerson stepped back a few meters, shocked. He inspected the house front with his eyes, searching for something off. Panic slowly rose up in him.

The door was untouched the last time he went there. Who had been here? Where they searching for Emma again?

He ran to the side of the building, still looking for more damage or for- he had no idea what he was looking for, but he would know once he spots it.

The curtains of the living room were closed. His stomach twisted in a knot. Those hadn't been closed yesterday.

He slowly went to the window, but it was shut. And there was something in front of it. Was that her book shelf?

There was something. He could hear something. He began to have goose bumps – the knot in his stomach tightened.

A sob.

It was a sob! Right there right now!

"EMMA!" He shouted. But he got no response. He continued to scream her name and banged at the window.

He stopped and listened for a moment – nothing.

Somehow – somehow he had to get in there. He ran around the house and finally found the broken window in the back. Emerson turned around swiftly before climbing in and grabbed the shovel leaning against the fence in the garden.

He slowly climbed through the window, trying not to cry out when he cut himself on the broken glass he had to lean on while he pulled his legs in. He tried to be quiet. Who knew, the bastard that had caused all this misery might be with her. The grip on the shovel he held up high – ready to attack and face whatever came his way – tightened. He could hear the sobbing again. It became louder the closer he came to the living room...

.ooOoOoOoOoOoOoOoo.

**Author's notes:**

Thank **you**! The one who just read this!

Big thanks to those who reviewed and put this on alert – I love you!

Special and eternal thanks to **IzumiTheMoogle**, who takes it on herself to beta for me!

No, I didn't forget the little conversation Riza and Winry had in the very first chapter. You know, the one I omitted because I'm such a nice and friendly person :P

Really curious how you guys will react to the next chapters …

But I'm also curious if you liked or despised this chapter! So leave a review (Haiku form is fine too) if you have the time and feel like it :D

See you next time as well, hopefully!

The striped one


	8. The Murderer Among Us

I'm **SO SORRY**!  
My dear reader, I hereby apologize for the very slow update! *bows* T_T  
And you were SO good to me, too! v_v

I'm not going to bore you with how busy I've been (and I so was D:), but this chapter is one that took me a lot of rewriting and shuffling around.  
I don't want to present you anything I'm not content with, so I won't rush too much and make it as good as I'm capable of!

Just so you know: I might be slow sometimes, but _I'll never ever drop this story!_ So thanks for your patience :)

I'm currently debating if I should _change the rating_ of the story. More concerning that at the end. But **be warned: This story will have violent scenes**, just like the original series had its share. Specially once they actually go investigate and go at it, so please be warned and be aware of that.

Enough of my rambling … here comes the chapter! And it's longer than the previous ones. Take that as a part of my apology, too *bows again*.

.ooOoOoOoOoOoOoOoo.

**Chapter 8:**

**The Murderer Among Us**

The sobbing became louder.

Emerson's heart was beating so fast and loud he was afraid it would give him away. That was stupid actually, because he had been screaming like a madman just a little while ago. If whoever held his fiancee captive hadn't heard, they were deaf.

He had reached the living room door. It was closed.

He let go of the shovel with his right hand, only to grip it even harder with his left. Emerson slowly turned the knob. He hesitated to pull it open for a moment … but then heard another cry.

_Emma._

'Please be alright' He thought as he pulled the door open.

.ooOoOoOoOoOoOoOoo.

The hall was dark. At least almost. Only the candles on the tables and a few lamps were lit in the corners so the guests could see a bit. The doors and the curtains in front of the french windows were all shut, blocking out the daylight. The whispering that filled the room died down as spotlights suddenly lit up the empty stage – a red curtain enshrouded whatever awaited them (most likely the musical instruments of the band, too).

From somewhere in the back of the hall heavy drumming began – making everyone in the room turn their heads. But no one was able to spot the source. It first was slow, without a real pattern. Than it became a faster, rhythmic sound.

Suddenly a big fire fountain crept over the ceiling – changing its form into a spiral.

The audience began to clap in the rhythm of the drumming and watched in awe as the spectacle began. Heads turned, searching for the source of the fire – some glanced over to Brigadier General Mustang, but he just sat there sipping at his bourbon, ungloved.

The next fire fountains came right from the stage: Two men – no, two figures that strangely resembled a lion and a gorilla – spat fire into the air. They wore tight but colorful body suits. The applause became louder, those recognizing Heinkel and Darius practically screaming out. Specificially, Jerso and Zampano – in the far back – were elated to spot their fellow Chimera friends.

The music became more full and pulsating as other instruments joined in from everywhere in the room.

The two chimeras grinned as they placed their torches into their mouths and began to flip flop off the stage through the middle of the tables. From the back two other men mirrored their movements, but they had red ribbons in their hands instead of fire. They wore gaudy suits as well, but weren't known to any of the guests that hadn't been to their circus before. There were explosions coming from the ceiling, following them a rain of silver glitter and long paper ribbons of all colors came down on the guests. Two young women let themselves down ropes that suddenly fell down from above.

The woman danced and jumped through the room like the men – and all gathered again on the stage. They held their ribbons and torches up high – before a bolt of light flashed up the whole room with a loud bang and, once the guests could see again, the artistes hung upside down from the ceiling and a clown had appeared in front of the microphone. He seemed to be of the category of the miserable, sad clowns. His beard jiggled around as he spoke:

"Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen. We are from the _Circus_ _D'Arau_! I am Yoki – a dear friend of the newly wed couple!" The former officer claimed dramatically.

The focus of the audience shifted to the happy couple, who squinted their eyes, barely remembering the man that had tagged along Scar so long ago. Mei at least remembered, oddly enough very fondly:

"Yoki-saaan!" She screamed clapping feverishly.

"As one of the people that fought alongside the Elrics at the deciding battle four years ago, it's an honor to stop here before we begin our show in East City! That starts in three days, so stop by for an adventurous time!"

Heinkel roared to bring the advertisement to full effect.

"We are only a small part of the crew, but please believe me when I say that we will still bring you a great show tonight! Only a glimpse of what awaits you in our circus tent, though ..."

"It's kind of weird … we should have known his true destiny is being a clown ..." Edward whispered to Winry, snickering.

The artistes slid down the ropes they were hanging on, letting themselves fall a few meters above the ground, flip around and land on their feet artistically. Save for the chimeras - they didn't have to worry about the fall. Both didn't bother to slide down and jumped down from right under the ceiling. During the fall Heinkel roared loudly and threw his torch to Darius who caught it without a problem. After the Gorilla shaped chimera landed he threw the torches in the air and ate the flames; only to spit them out in fountain form.

The whole room erupted in applause and the performers bowed down shortly, before the drums picked up again and they got into position for the next act.

.ooOoOoOoOoOoOoOoo.

"Thank you everyone! And all the best to you, Edward and Winry!" Darius barked into the microphone, all artistes bowing for a last time.

After almost an hour of artistic entertainment and a few sketches, the circus said goodbye – for now. They wanted to join the party after changing and freshening up.

"Guess, I missed the big show, huh?"

The officer's at the table next to the stage turned around immediately upon hearing the familiar voice. First Lieutenant Vato Falman stood before them, beaming happily.

"You made it after all!" Heymans jumped up to greet him with a bear hug, happy to see the man after a long time again. His other former colleagues followed suit and greeted the man heartily.

They all had been sad that Falman decided to stay up in the north when Mustang established his new – or old – office in East City. But they appreciated having a strong ally up there and understood his decision.

"Vato, did you find our seats?" A rather small, but certainly attractive woman, approached him and tucked at his elbow. She only noticed the officers then: "Oh! I'm sorry! You must be friends of Vato, right? Hello, I'm Second Lieutenant Vanessa Brown." The woman smiled at them nicely.

"You're-?" Breda choked.

"Yup!" Vato exclaimed happily. He wrapped an arm around the now chuckling Vanessa. "This is my girlfriend!"

Breda looked at them, his chin on the ground. In the end he only had one thing to say: "I hate you."

.ooOoOoOoOoOoOoOoo.

"Can't say I'm surprised the Ice Queen refused to come …" Roy swung his Bourbon glass around as if bored, but still had a grin plastered on his face.

They had sat down at their table and exchanged news. Save for Rebecca (who was getting a second serving of dessert proclaiming that she would die alone anyways, so why bother thinking about calories) and the sole couple at the table until now – Denny and Maria were gone dancing again.

Falman snickered and nodded in agreement: "Yeah! She said: 'I'm not like that expandable Brigadier General – I can't just walk out on my job for something that trivial.'"

Vanessa joined the nodding: "She was shouting that in the cafeteria during lunch break. None of the invited soldiers dared to come - besides my Valto of course! Even so, his next promotion is being discussed! So of course I was almighty and came, too."

She chuckled and placed her hand on his leg and looked at her boyfriend, her gaze full of honest admiration. Her Vato was more than glad to return the gesture and placed his hand on hers.

"And you are working under my dear sister, too?" Alex asked, smiling kindly at the petite woman.

She nodded again: "Yes, but I feel kind of misplaced at Briggs … I'm not really the kind of person the Major General wants there. Everyone is so strong and tough … and I'm just so- I don't know."

Vanessa smiled, embarrassed, playing with her brown hair for comfort.

"May I ask: why did a delicate woman like you join the military to begin with? The north specifically is a really uncomfortable place for a lady." Roy gleamed at her, automatically putting up his charm.

"Ah, well … my family has a military history … and I like the thought of helping others." She looked down, avoiding the gaze of the Brigadier General.

"Don't underestimate her! She's very capable. And I'm not just saying that because we're dating." Vato boasted. "Vanessa was among the best graduates in military school. And she just became better in practice."

"No need to flatter me ..." She chuckled, now certainly a bit red in the face.

Falman patted her hand, before he changed the topic: "A shame Lieutenant Colonel Miles couldn't make it."

"Gotta love how he got a promotion, but his boss didn't get one." Mustang chuckled, but continued a bit more serious. "But I guess, she's lucky she still has her rank and job ..."

"Yes ..." Riza agreed quietly.

Major General Armstrong barely got away from the charges that were put upon her because of the "Promised Day". Her soldiers were seen attacking the Fuhrer after all. In the end she was let go – free of all charges as she presumably wasn't in contact with her men and was later seen fighting on 'their' side. Many of her men didn't get away so easily, however.

Not getting a promotion was the last thing that must have bothered the Major General.

"Well … _Joshua_ isn't left behind by his best buddy Lt. Colonel Miles that way." Heymans forced a smile, trying to lighten up the sullen mood that suddenly had crept into the scene. He immediately regretted that he had mentioned Joshua. The murderer of the Bride's parents. Great topic.

No way Scar would have made it onto the guest list.

Vanessa seemed to catch on to the bad mood as suddenly all officers just looked down at their glasses instead of responding at the lighthearted comment of Breda's. She looked confused from one hanging head to the other.

"What is it?" She inquired, poking Vato in the side while she eyed him. "Has it something to do with Joshua? I met him before. Not really talkative, but a really kind guy."

"Don't talk about him here." Mustang stated flatly. His eyes wandered to the bride who was laughing from the bottom of her heart as she swirled around on the dance floor with her husband.

He stood up and excused himself, but flashed a kind smile at Vanessa before leaving: "It's nothing really, don't worry about it. I'll get myself something to drink."

"... Did I say something wrong?" Vanessa asked Vato, weakly.

"Nah, you just touched a hot topic there … don't worry about it." Her beloved comforted her and tried to change the topic yet again: "Where is Havoc anyways?"

"Hunting." Hawkeye stated matter-of-factly. She looked past her colleague, following her superior with her eyes instead.

"Ah, I see. Trying his best with women as always." Vato chuckled.

"Reminds me!" Heymans stood up and pulled Kain with him. "Let's go get some chicks to dance! There's a nice batch." He nodded towards a group of women standing next to the dance floor, giggling.

"But! Wait a moment!" Kain protested but was forced into their direction by the way bigger man.

Vato looked after them, grinning: "None of them changed, huh?"

"Like they ever will." Hawkeye responded with an amused undertone. She drank the last remains of her wine and stood up: "Excuse me for a bit; I have to use the bathroom."

"Oh, actually I have to go, too … you mind if I tag along, Captain?" Vanessa asked, with a shaky voice. After the first words it suddenly occurred to her it might not be a good idea to ask the calm blonde in the first place.

"No, I don't mind." Hawkeye's tone was friendly to show Vanessa she wouldn't harm her for asking.

The two women walked off to the toilets.

Leaving Vato all alone with the sparkling Alex.

The muscle man seized the opportunity for a heart to heart talk: "I congratulate you for finding such a pleasant girlfriend, my friend! It's so wonderful when two people meet their special person. It moves the very bottom of my heart!" He leaned in closer – it was a very intimate topic after all. "So, why don't you tell me how you love birds met?"

.ooOoOoOoOoOoOoOoo.

Vanessa inspected herself in the mirror, pulling at a strand of hair here and there.

"I'm sorry if I said something inappropriate."

Riza washed her hands and shook her head: "No, don't worry about it."

"I guess it's something top secret I'm not supposed to know, huh? A man working so close with the military, but without a rank or last name … I should have made the connection myself. I'm sorry."

"Stop apologizing. You couldn't have known. But it's better if you don't bring him up today – in any discussion with anyone." The blonde advised, drying her hands while she spoke. "It's not a good topic for a wedding, that's all."

Riza gave the other woman an encouraging smile. The look she received from Vanessa's hazel eyes told her how much it bothered her.

"You and Falman make a good couple, Second Lieutenant." Riza remarked as she inspected herself too in the mirror.

"Oh, thank you! And please call me Vanessa; we aren't on duty after all, right?" The insecurity from before seemed to be blown away; now she beamed at her happily.

"Riza." She told her with a smile. One of her hairpins had loosened.

"I'm so lucky I found him … and that he got interested in me! He's so kind! And smart! He always astonishes me."

Riza tried to reattach the pin but it didn't want to hold. She regretted already that she hadn't settled for a simpler hairdo.

"But I gotta say-" Vanessa was interrupted by a crash from one of the cabins behind them. It seemed like the woman in there had tipped over the bin.

"Excuse me? Are you alright?" Riza asked loud and clear. They could hear the feet of the occupant shifting around, but she didn't answer.

"Sorry? Do you need help?"

"No." A sharp voice came from the booth finally. But nothing more than that one word.

The two women outside looked at each other and shrugged. Drunk or clumsy (or both?) and embarrassed about it.

The woman resumed their inspecting of their reflections – and Riza tried her luck with her hairpin again.

"Anyway," Vanessa began happily. "You and the Brigadier General make quiet the couple, too."

The hairpin was driven into Riza's hair – and skin … with a little too much force.

"You look really great together!" The small woman continued, smiling innocently.

"We aren't a couple."

Riza couldn't believe she had to say this exact sentence the second time today.

"What?" Vanessa seemed to be really shocked. "But you seem so close!"

"We've known each other for a long time, that's all."

_'We__'ve__ know__n__ each other for a long time'_ – again something she had told Winry that very morning.

"And the way he looks at you – I just thought it was obvious. I'm sorry!"

_'The way you look at each other …' _Winry's words echoed in her head. This was getting scary.

But she knew Winry; she didn't know this woman. Riza had opened up to Winry this morning, but she wouldn't do so here with Vanessa. In the bathroom. With a drunken, sighing woman in the background. She pushed the conversation she had had with her friend to the back of her head again – along with the topic that was Roy Mustang. Not as her superior, but as her potential husband according to the freshly declared Winry Elric.

"We aren't like that. It's okay, you just got it wrong." She used a friendly voice, but with a strict undertone at the same time that made it clear the topic was off the table now.

"I'll go on ahead." Riza said before leaving.

.ooOoOoOoOoOoOoOoo.

Riza spotted him immediately. He stood there hunched over the bar and stirred his drink with his finger. She sighed at the sight before walking over, but a faint smile formed on her lips.

He didn't look up when she planted herself next to him, her back to the bar.

"Has Havoc have any luck yet?"

"Nope." Mustang gulped down the rest of his Bourbon. "He's currently talking to a girl who has a boyfriend. Saw them dancing – among other stuff – before."

She raised an eyebrow at him: "You don't plan on enlightening him, do you Sir?"

"Course not, I'd miss her boyfriend telling him that way." He snickered.

The bartender came over looking at them expectantly.

"Wine?" Mustang asked his Captain.

"Sure."

Her superior ordered a bottle of expensive wine, while swearing how good it was.

"It's my mother's favorite – and it's on Fullmetal anyway!" he grinned at her, pleased with himself.

Riza watched him closely, trying to figure out if he was upset or not. She knew he wasn't happy about relying on Scar. Mustang hadn't known until he saw him personally in Ishval. Scar – no - Joshua, as they had named him, was a great help to them and they were working together to rebuild and free Ishval. And yet he was the murderer of the bride's parents – and of many more.

Joshua was trying his best to use his life to change things for the better, but a murderer always stays a murderer. There is no action that will redeem someone that took lives, even when the court isn't looking for them.

It was something Mustang and Hawkeye knew too well. Painfully well.

"Don't look at me like that." He didn't look her in the eye and stared blankly at the bottles on the shelves that hung on the wall instead. "It's nothing."

"Sir, if-" She began but was cut short by his raised hand. He shook his head and turned to her, a slight smile on his lips.

"It's nothing. Just felt like a change of scenery."

The bartender returned with the wine and two fresh glasses. Roy thanked the man, took the bottle and began filling his glass with only a few sips. A few tiny pieces of cork swam on the surface. Riza watched as her superior raised the glass into the light to inspect it, swung it around in his hand and lastly took in its scent before tasting it. Only after he was done with the procedure, Roy filled her glass – a little over half, but not near to full.

"Don't you raise your eyebrow at me, Captain. If you have a fine wine like this you have to treat it well." he grinned at her and her features that had changed to a frown while he had inspected the wine. "A fine wine is very similar to a fine woman in that aspect."

"Hmmm, is that so?" Hawkeye just hummed as she took her glass from him.

He raised his glass and inspected the red fluid again in the light, eyes only on it. He had that distant look on his face again.

"Hmm, yeah." He answered in a hushed voice. "The best wines ripen for a long time … you need to wait before you enjoy them."

"... You mean the older the wine, the better, right?" Hawkeye still watched him closely, and suddenly she had a faint idea what was going on in his head.

"I'll tell Mrs. Rockbell to keep an eye out for you." She said deadpan and nodded towards Pinako, who was running up to Mary West who had just reentered the room.

"... Thank you, Captain." Mustang grinned and clinked glasses with her.

.ooOoOoOoOoOoOoOoo.

John had climbed the stage again and pulled the microphone to him. He cleared his throat loudly so everyone looked at him.

"My fellow guests!" He raised the half full glass of sparkling wine he brought with him and grinned immensely. "We are only getting started with this already wonderful party! While the musicians and the lovely Mary take their hard earned break; I will inform you about a very serious matter. "

His grin broadened as he saw the question marks appearing above the heads of the guests.

"I'm sorry to say this … but among us … is a murderer!" He gasped dramatically, making up for the silence in the room.

"Tonight, one of us is going to die. Or many. Or maybe we all will!" He raised his arm and pointed at the crowd, faking a tremble.

"Tell us what the deal is already!" Darius screamed from the far back – he and the rest of the circus crew had joined the table of Jerso and Zampano. Alphonse currently sat together with them and looked very amused.

"Alright!" John laughed. "With so much enthusiasm I shall not let you wait any longer!" He pulled a card out of his pocket. A playing card. It was the joker. "This! Is his – or her's – dirty instrument!"

He paused for a moment and waved the card in all directions so everyone could see it.

"All of you will be given a card – don't worry we have enough for everyone!" He winked at Elicia who sat next to the stage, a little pet panda in her lap.

"One of you will get the Joker and thus will become a killing machine! All of you will look at your card and slip it away somewhere – unseen by everyone else. But have it close to your person at all times. Because! The person with the black Joker is the murderer **toniiiiight!**" His last word was emphasized by a flash of the lights.

"Whenever our dear murderer shows someone his Joker, that person has to die half an hour later! Of course our murderer will go about it secretly, because he or she doesn't want to be found out. Because! If our killer wins and doesn't get found out by midnight, our criminal will win a special and valuable prize!"

"That sounds so stupid … that it might actually be fun." Mustang whispered to Hawkeye as they clinked glasses – their second round.

"If you think you know who the murderer is, come to the bastard and voice your suspicion. If you're right, you win and get the prize! If you're wrong, you're dead immediately. The proof will be the card you all have to carry around. I am neutral in this competition and can't be the criminal. You are free to kill me, though. Also, you aren't allowed to tell anyone what card you have or the godly thunder will strike and you die! Any questions?"

"What do you mean by dying?" Heymans asked loud enough for the whole room to understand clearly. He stood among the girls next to the dance floor now. They giggled as everyone turned their heads to their group.

"Good question! Alphonse, if you could now, please?" John looked to Alphonse who still sat in the far back and stood up with a big grin.

"Okay!" He breathed out heavily and raised his wine glass. "I'm going to die now, everyone!"

He suddenly snapped his head back as if someone had hit him hard and stumbled around, knocking over his chair when he stepped back.

The wine sprinkled on the furniture and on himself because of his heavy staggering.

He screamed loudly as he let himself fall to the ground dramatically – glass still in hand. Al made sure it didn't break, but let the remaining wine leak on the floor. The wine formed a red puddle next to him.

He twitched and gurgled as if in horrible pain before he finally stopped to move and just lay still in the red fluid.

John nodded contently: "Yup, just like that! Thanks, Alphonse."

The young man stood up again and brushed off his pants. He bowed apologetically to the waiter who hurried over with a cloth to get rid of the wine on the floor.

"Sorry, I guess I overdid it …"

"So … we'll go ahead with our murderous night then!" John already turned around but came back when he remembered another detail. "Oh – and please die somewhere people notice!"

.ooOoOoOoOoOoOoOoo.

Emma Johnson cowered under the table in the corner now, all limbs pulled towards her, afraid of the noises that had come from outside.

_I'm sa__f__e here. It will be fine._

She clenched her right hand into a fist, only to open it right away and then clench it again. The pain in her hand became clear and stinging as she repeated the motion over and over again. Some of the cuts were pretty deep and started bleeding again.

_It hurts._

Emma pressed one of the glass splints in her palm deeper into her flesh with her left hand. She felt numb, but the pain made her sob without wanting to.

The woman had no control over her tears.

_I want to see you again. Please. Please, come to me my love. My only love._

_I'm waiting here._

Emma didn't hear that the door opened. The woman on the floor didn't notice the man slowly entering and looking around the familiar room in horror.

She didn't saw him freezing in shock as he finally spotted her.

She only heard how the shovel he had brought fell to the ground as he came running towards her.

"EMMA!"

It was still dark, only a little light coming in through the open door. It was barely enough to make out the silhouette of the man kneeling in front of her.

Emma screamed and kicked at the figure that tried to get a hold of her.

"Emma! It's me, Emerson. Darling, please! Let me help you! It's ME. Me! Oh god, what happened?"

She kicked him in the face before crawling away.

"_Leave me alone!" _She spat, but Emerson couldn't understand.

"Emma!"

His fiancee tried to run to the other side of the room, but fell over the shovel that still lay on the floor. And she just stayed there on the ground, not willing to stand up, just continuing to sob.

"Look, it's me!" Emerson threw himself against the bookshelf in front of the window so it toppled over loudly. He pulled the curtains behind it open, nearly tearing them down.

"It's me, Emma!" He slowly approached her. "You don't have to be scared!"

Tears started rolling down his face. In the light he could finally see the state she was in. The love of his life had never looked as miserable before. The blood – it was everywhere. On her face, on her clothes, on her arms. He knelt down in front of her again and reached out for her trembling body.

"_Go away." _She croaked, weakly.

"Emma?"

It was her voice, he knew that, but he didn't understand what she said.

"Emma? What is it? Please, I didn't hear it!"

She suddenly jumped up and looked down on him disdainfully. Emma opened her mouth again, speaking calm, but loud and clear:

"_Go. Away."_

She didn't recognize the man. He didn't recognize the words she spoke.

"Emma, what are you saying?" He tried to take her hand, but it was slapped away. "I don't understand a word you're saying. Please tell me, I'll do anything."

Emma tried to run away, but Emerson threw himself onto her and grabbed her legs, making her fall again.

"Listen! It's me! Emerson! I'll do anything-" She struggled and kicked as he pressed her down and crawled on top of her. Emma whimpered horribly. Emerson's heart was breaking as he had to hear her sob because of him.

"Darling ..." His tears fell down on her. "I love you."

Her eyes widened. She stopped squirming and for the first time she really looked at him. She looked him in the eyes. But he couldn't find the warmth that normally greeted him when their eyes locked; they were cold and sharp. Emma pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes.

"'I love you'?" She said. He could finally understand what she said. But it was the only thing he was going to hear in English:

"_Don't dare to speak like her. My love. My love. My love."_ Tears rolled down her face again and she started to squirm under him, trying to shake him off her. Emerson was too shocked to move anymore. He just looked at her bewildered.

Emma gave him another death glare before she spat in his face. He immediately let go and backed off, rubbing his face.

"Emma! Listen!" He screamed, desperate. "Darling, it will be fine! Just let me help you."

Emma stood up slowly, wobbling a bit back and forth, bringing the shovel up with her.

_Why? I'm waiting for you, but only others come to find me. It hurts. I love you. And he dares to say it like you always did._

She slowly raised the shovel up in the air.

"_Last warning. Go away."_

Emerson trembled and shook his head, trying to understand what was happening – and what she said.

"Emma .. dear … please ..." The tears didn't stop rolling down his face. "Anything. I only have you ..."

He grabbed into his pocket and pulled out her engagement ring.

"Remember, PLEASE!" Emerson held the ring towards her. "I love yo-"

Emma brought the shovel down with all the force she could muster. It hit Emerson's head hard and made him fly to the ground violently. He twitched and gurgled as Emma stepped to his side, the shovel sliding on the carpet as she moved.

"_I warned you."_

She raised the shovel again. The first hit had hurt Emerson so severely he was barely able to move. He tried to push himself away with his feet, but collapsed right away.

_'Don't let people get too close to you. She won't come then.'_

The familiar voice echoed in her head again and she screamed as she brought down the shovel again.

"AHHHH!"

And again.

Emerson didn't stop squirming while Emma hit him over and over again, his blood sprinkling over the furniture and the woman he loved so much.

She felt and heard the bones cracking, but she didn't stop. No, her beating became more frantic and faster instead. She screamed harder with every stroke.

_I only want to see you._

Emerson stopped moving, but she didn't – the restlessness and despair she felt was taken out on the body before her.

_Why? _

Bang.

_Why? _

Bang.

_Why?_

Bang.

Suddenly images fluttered in front of her eyes – images of Emerson smiling, images that brought back the faint feeling of warmth – a feeling the person standing there, violating a corpse longed for so much.

She froze.

_I killed him._

_I killed him._

_I killed again. Again. Again!_

The shovel fell down to the ground, into the red puddle that had started to form at her feet.

"_I'm sorry!"_

_'I never wanted to be a murderer.' _Her voice … he still remembered it.

He felt such a strong sting of pain suddenly, like something was dying deep within him.

_I killed again, I'm sorry. Forgive me. I just want to see you. Please come. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. PLEASE._

Emma gripped her head tightly as she screamed again. The tears welled up again, as she looked at the man in front of her, her lover that she couldn't remember.

"I love you." The woman covered in blood whispered in perfect English, before she collapsed on the ground, screaming so hard she could feel her lungs turn to stone.

_Please. Come. I'm waiting for you …Vivianne. _

.ooOoOoOoOoOoOoOoo.

**Author's Notes:**

**Thank you!** For reading, for alerting, for reviewing and just for being awesome! I really appreciate it! You make me insanely happy with every single little gesture.

Special thanks to **Oakleaf** who still sticks with me, even so I just spread confusion for now (and even does a Haiku! xD).

And thanks so big it won't fit here to** IzumiTheMoogle**, my beloved beta reader! :x

Please – **tell me if I crossed the line with the T rating here**. I sincerely apologize if someone got caught by surprise by the last scene and didn't like that at all. The last thing I want is offend – I just want to entertain. If you got caught by surprise but liked the thrill: Yay, mission accomplished!

Btw: A cookie to anyone who guesses how come that Falman's girlfriend name is Vanessa :D

Also a thing that shocked me pretty much: This story been nominated in _"Otaku Online Stop's Summer Heat Best FanFiction Poll"_. So thank you, **Paczki **(who nominated me)! Thinking this was worth mentioning is a big honor for me :)  
You can find it on **Xapita**'s profile page if you're curious: www(DOT)fanfiction(DOT)net/u/1658680/

_Reviews? _Yeah, baby - love those! :D I mean- you're free to leave me one ;)

You can also throw something at me there because I was so slow v_v  
Also sorry, for the long notes. I'm a bad striped one ._. Whip _me!_ v_v

sorrowful and thankful greetings,

the striped one


	9. I Will Wait For You

_Foreword:_

I disclaim the song **„I will wait for you" by Connie Francis**.  
You _could_ listen to it before reading this chapter (read: youtube it) … but it's not a must.  
The original piece is from the movie **"The Umbrellas of Cherbourg"**. Saaad.  
I've put links to both into my profile so go there if you're curious but lazy.

I'm very sorry this chapter is late again … but stuff happened. Hope it'll get better soon. I'm still very sorry for the extreme delay! :( I hate to let you hang like that :(  
I'm also sorry that this chapter is unbetad this time but I didn't want to withheld it any longer. Hope the quality doesn't drop too much because of it.

Oh and here the answer to last time's quiz:  
'Vanessa' was Falman's code name during that one mission with Barry the Chopper's body ;D It strangely fit well.

.ooOoOoOoOoOoOoOoo.

**Chapter 9:**

**I Will Wait For You**

The sun was starting to set over Resembool, submerging the green grass in a golden glow. The children were playing outside with the dogs – and Xiao-Mei. The little pet panda had clung itself to a big teddy bear one of the boys from the village had brought, occasionally showing its teeth when Black Hayate came too close to examine the couple.  
Gracia watched her daughter throw flowers at Den softly, while the canine had a bored expression on its face and yawned.

Since there were many more adults keeping watch and there wasn't much to feel cautious about anyway, Gracia turned and reentered the hall.

The band was playing a fast and upbeat song, making even the people still sitting tap their feet to the rhythm. Mary sang her heart out and swung her hips to the left and right. A grin formed on the mother's lips as she spotted Roy and Riza next to the bar. They were talking and had that shine in their eyes they only got when they were 'alone' like that. She stopped for a moment, pondering if she should intrude or not. Teasing them was always fun – like dropping lines such as:

"Kids are such a joy to have, specially when you have a hard job like in the military."

"Maes always said how our marriage balanced him out and took the stress away - _you know what I mean_."

"Did you hear about the new financial support for military officers with family?"

They always got awfully quiet whenever she tried to follow the legacy of her late husband to torment them with suggestions of marriage and family. But today – today she would leave them alone. It's not like she ever been able to convince either that staying apart was simply idiotic, so she didn't have to insist today.

Riza grinned at something Roy said, who leaned in to tell her more of his – of that Gracia was sure – indecent story in a low voice.

She knew them for so many years now. And so little had changed. From the time Maes had brought them to a date with her so very long ago until now. They were not a couple, despite acting like they were married anyhow. Just minus the fun things.

As far as she knew at least.

Well, something did change. Gracia couldn't nail it but for a long time she had the feeling something under the surface had begun to stir – and it was beginning to cause tiny waves in the still water.  
They hadn't told her much about what happened exactly on the day of the sun eclipse four years ago, but she could guess from their wounds the battle hadn't been a picnic. Gracia had been sure they would finally screw their professionalism then and would overcome their traumas like Maes had overcome his with his family's help. But no they threw themselves into their work almost immediately after recovering sufficiently.

Seeing them banter like they did right now moved her and made her sad at the same time. It was rare that they could enjoy themselves – and each other – like that, so she would leave them alone. Today at least.

Gracia still sighed while she went the other way. She was sure Maes would have done the same.

Ah … she still missed Maes. It didn't hurt so much anymore, to talk or think about him, but she still missed him so much. Specially, on days like this. He was the love of her life – that would never change.

Izumi and Sig signalled her to come over to them. Too bad, she couldn't spy on her favorite not-couple from there.

.ooOoOoOoOoOoOoOoo.

Besides the dance floor Ed was standing together with Havoc and Fuery. They weren't talking. They were admiring one of nature's wonders – Heymans Breda was hitting it off nicely with one of the village's women and danced like there was no tomorrow. He seemed to whisper naughty things to her, since whenever he came near her ear and opened his mouth she started to giggle and blush furiously and hit him lightly on the shoulder shouting the same words over and over again:

"Oh! You're so bad, Braidy!"

"_Braidy"_ the three man echoed in unison … mouths agape.

"First Falman, now him. I need a beer. And after that another two. Or eleven." Jean bit on his cigarette in frustration.

Ed smirked at the poor Lieutenant: "You could ask Lieutenant Catalina to have a drink with you, you know. She had no luck either."

Jean looked at him as if Ed had just suggested to ride on a yellow unicorn and take off for flight.

"What?" the groom asked. "I mean, you and she-"

"No no no no no no no no no no!" The officer crossed his arms and his eyes grew wide as if imminent danger was approaching."And NO! Did I say no yet?"

"You don't have to object so strongly, Lieutenant ..." Kaine looked around in fear. It would have been classic Havoc if Rebecca was standing right behind them.

"Oh come on! She'll say the same. That's a box that's better left unopened." The smoker brought out his cigarette pack from inside his blazer. He needed a new cigarette … he had swallowed most of its predecessor during his little outburst.

The groom nudged him with his elbow: "You mean 'reopened', don't you?"

"... feeling all wise now that you're married, don't you, kid?" Jean snapped while lighting his cigarette.

Kaine chipped in with: "But you two weren't that bad as a couple …"

"Oh hell, we were!" the blond officer sighed heavily. "We even are forbidden to be dating each other again by the Brigadier General! And I'm sure our dear Captain Hawkeye would have some bullets to throw in, too."

"It's serious when the Captain starts to intervene ..." Edward meant what he said, but he still had to snicker.

"I tell you. It's good we can be friends again. You know, without all the awkwardness. Going out was a terrible idea to begin with."

Jean spotted Rebecca across the dance floor as she joined a group of people. He took a long drag and sighed.

"But it wasn't all bad, was it?" Kaine asked only meaning good.

The young man saw his superior officer's features soften.

"Yeah ..." Jean smiled slightly. "Wasn't all bad."

"Uwah, I can hear the box cracking open!" Ed grinned evilly.

Luckily for Edward his wife was approaching him from behind with a look of horror on her face – so he was spared from Jean who was ready to swing him one with one of his crutches.

"EEEEED!" Winry whined and threw herself on the back of her now husband.

Edward immediately panicked and thought that the major catastrophe that he had dreaded the whole day and just HAD to happen on their wedding day finally showed itself:

"Winry, what is it? What happened?" He turned shifting all his attention to his teary-eyed bride, reaching for her hand to comfort her at least a little.

She looked up at him, but no words came out – she just shook her head and pulled Ed after her with her hand.

"Winry?" Ed tried his best not to show his worry, but her silence only made him more nervous. What could be so horrible that rendered _this_ woman silent?

They sped through the crowd and no one dared to stop them.

Edward was surprised when Winry pulled him towards the toilets, but she darted to the other end of the corridor into the storage room. She pushed him into the room and closed the door behind them. Leaning against it she let her head hang, not yet facing Edward.

"... is something wrong with the cake?"

Ed wanted to slap himself. His bride was near tears and he came up with something like this. He was such an-

… did she just giggle?

"Pfft!" Winry finally looked up to him, tears in her eyes, yes indeed - but from laughing. "Oh god, the look on your face! Like the end of the world was coming! It's too much!"

She burst out laughing, leaving her husband lost for words and looking at her with eyes wide open and chin on the ground.

Winry locked the door and grinned at him, slowly walking over.

"Sorry, for scaring you, Ed." She spoke under her breath, fixing him with her blue eyes. She raised her index finger and guided Edward's chin back to place.

"Wha-?" Ed cleared his throat, finally getting out of his shock. "What the hell was that about?"

Winry tried to sway him with an angelic smile, but his annoyance didn't meld away.

"Aw, come on," Winry beamed up at him and raised her hand to his face to trace along his jawline. " I was thinking of you here."

It wasn't enough to make him forgive her just like that:

"Me? You scared the wits out of me right there."

His bride pouted at the lack of reaction and hugged him, pressing herself tightly against her husband. Her sheepish smile broadened as she heard him inhale sharply at the sudden body contact.

"But … I wanted to be alone with you … just a little … without all the people … there was no other way to pull you away without someone else budding in ..." Winry let her hands slide past his waist to Edwards back as she spoke, letting one travel up and one down.

"... I kinda missed you. As silly as it is … " She hushed.

When Edward saw the embarrassed face of his bride … and felt the firm grip of her hands … all words that would have formed some kind of objection or annoyance melted away.

He wrapped his arms around her as he whispered into her ear as quiet as possible:

"... I missed you, too."

"Hmm?" Winry had the sheepish grin back: "I'm sorry I didn't quite catch that!"

"Gah, just for once stop it, woman!"

Before she could protest and start a fight – Ed used what he had learned to be his biggest asset:

He leaned in and kissed her.

Winry was surprised to suddenly get what she had in mind to begin with when she dragged him here – so suddenly and so passionately at that. Her grip on his backside tightened, just as his right hand found it's way up her back, up her neck, trying to find a way into her hair …

The bride suddenly pulled back: "Ah, don't mess up my hair now!"

"Now that's something I never thought I'd ever hear from you ..." Ed chuckled while he pulled her even closer to him, biting his lip once their lips were only an inch apart yet again.

"I'm the bride after all ..." Winry trailed off as she leaned towards Ed, closing her eyes just before their lips met.

The thought of a lifetime full of moments like these … warmed the couple from deep within. They also heat up for entirely different reasons. A low moan escaped Winry's lips when Ed found that place … and gently stroked the lower part of her belly. She softly bit his bottom lip as a response.

They opened their eyes at the same moment when they parted - and smiled, breathing a little heavy.

A lifetime is too short after all …

Edward hold her head in his hands now and pulled her into another kiss ...

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

A horrifying cry was heard from the main hall.

The couple froze immediately.

'No. That can't be.'

It was Al's voice.

Edward and Winry stormed out of the room and back to the hall – only to find Alphonse lying on the floor - right in the middle of the dance floor.

"AL!" Edward screamed and rushed to his side.

Mei knelled next to him, a look of … annoyance on her face.

"You have way too much fun with this, Alphonse" the Xingese girl pouted, not liking the disturbance in the middle of their dance.

The people that had gathered around them to look started to laugh.

"I'm sorry, Mei ..." Al smiled embarrassed while he stood up and brushed off his suit.

It was then Al noticed his brother who had just replaced all his worry with anger:

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING YOU MORON?"

"... The game Ed … I just died …" The young man smiled innocently.

"Again?" Ed raised his eyebrows, not really following. He had been against games, but Winry had given them their blessing before he could voice his dislike. But oh well: Happy bride, happy groom.

"Ah, you know … that before was just a demonstration, now I was shot down for real!" Al exclaimed a bit too enthusiastically.

Mary who had watched the scene grinned at the absurd scene. She turned to the band signaling them to continue.

"Okay everyone, our dear Alphonse was brutally murdered just now. We will entertain you while you get the criminal!" The singer purred into the microphone, playing with her feather boa with her right hand.

The on watchers started to scatter once the music resumed, whispering and speculating about who had been close to Alphonse half an hour go. Rumor had it that Alphonse himself was the one who donated the prize and that it was something very valuable from his travels in the east. People started to be really excited about getting it. There even had been a false accusation already – it wasn't Luigi the painter.

"Ed?" Winry asked her husband. "What is it? You look weird."

"Brother?" Al joined in, titling his head at the serious expression of his older brother.

"It's nothing ..." Edward frowned and averted his gaze to the ceiling. "Jeez, why do you people have to keep on scaring me like that?"

"I'm sorry I didn't want to scare you." Alphonse was baffled by Ed's reaction.

Mei cut in, linking arms with her boyfriend: "See, it's a stupid game!"

"I really thought you of all people would like it …" Al smiled at her, weakly.

"It's bad luck - like you want to summon something to happen. I can't think of that as a funny idea." The Xingese girl eyed him seriously.

"It's just a game nothing will happen." Edward was the one to make that point surprisingly. "Even though, I had this feeling something would."

"What do you mean, Ed? Do you mean the security issue again-"

He nodded: "Yeah. There are many well known and important people here today. We have some security personnel, but if someone would truly want to ... you know. But it's stupid, right?"

The four of them looked around the room, full of people enjoying themselves.

"I'm just being paranoid, aren't I?"

.ooOoOoOoOoOoOoOoo.

"I swear it wasn't as bad!" Roy frowned.

"There is no reason to deny it, Sir." Riza smirked slightly while she brought her glass to her lips. "It's no different from your adventures back in East City."

"Talking about our wild party last night?" John, beaming like always, had come over to the pair and saluted Hawkeye with his sparkling wine.

Roy grimaced … that man had no good timing. Not at all. They somehow had gotten to the topic of the bachelor party and apparently his Captain found the topic quiet entertaining. He somehow was glad she didn't hold anything against him … yet. But at the same time Roy was vexed that it _didn't_ seem to vex her even a tiny bit.

It was silly like it always was.

"He was really naughty last night, my dear." John stepped a bit closer to Hawkeye and took her hand in his. "How about showing him? I'll gladly volunteer."

He winked at her, his grin not leaving his face.

But Hawkeye didn't return it. She snapped her hand back and answered with a bored expression:

"No, thank you."

Roy was grinning now. And was very happy he had fought the urge to set John's hair on fire on impulse. At least a little on the top ...

"Aw, come one!" the persistent, but attractive man tilted his head and looked her in the eye. "You promised me a dance before!"

"I didn't." she answered flatly.

Roy was impressed. Most men gave up at this point. He couldn't blame them – the Captain's sharp gaze was insanely intimidating.

The band had just finished another upbeat song. Mary spoke into the microphone with her breathy voice:

"Okay, my loves. It's time for something more slow – with real feeling! It will be the last song I sing in a while," Mary mimicked pouring a glass done her throat and winked. "I'll take a little break. Please, don't miss me too much!"

"You did! I never forget a hot blonde, even when it's just on the phone." John smiled at her kindly now. "Come on, just one dance."

The first notes hit – Roy recognized the song immediately. He glanced at his Captain.

'I can't.'

"Frankly, I'm not in the mood to dance." Riza caught the closer inching John at his chest and kept him on arm length.

'I ...'

Mustang drank as much as he could from his still full wine glass before he turned to Hawkeye:

"Captain, would you mind coming with me for a moment?"

Both the blonde and the sheep herder looked at him perplexed and before Hawkeye could answer, Mustang took her hand and led her away from the bar.

"Keep an eye on our wine, please!" Roy asked the bartender over his shoulder, totally ignoring the still frozen John. And his wide eyed Captain.

"Just like yesterday!" John shouted after them, spilling his sparkling wine while he gestured wildly.

.ooOoOoOoOoOoOoOoo.

Mustang's grip on her hand was firm as he pulled her forward. She wondered when the last time was she felt his palm in hers. It always surprised her how big his hands were in comparison.

The music was slow, but had feeling just as Mary had suggested. Riza could feel the low bass in her stomach.

"Sir?" Hawkeye asked unsure. "Did you spot something … ?"

It was a wedding, but they still had to be on guard. Did she fail to notice something because of that persistent idiot?

"Kinda." her superior stopped right in front of the dance floor.

The musical intro was finished and as the string players picked up again, Mary joined in with her vibrant voice:

"_If it takes forever~"_

He turned to lock eyes with her:

" Do you mind … just one dance?"

"_I will wait for you"_

The Captain just returned his gaze and nodded – and allowed Mustang to lead her to a free spot on the dance floor. He smiled as he pulled her towards him gently and placed his left hand on her waist. He raised their still entangled hands into the proper starting position and took the lead.

'Just after I said I'm not in the mood …' she thought, but no protest was voiced.

"_For a thousand summers, I will wait for you  
_

_Till you're back beside me, till I'm holding you_

_Till I hear you sigh here in my arms"_

They slowly circled around, Hawkeye's eyes were first on his chest but she eventually looked up and couldn't help but smile as their eyes locked again.

She couldn't clearly remember the last time they had danced.

Roy broke the silence, not leaving her eyes: "It's a favorite song of my mother. She always sung it back in the days."

The violin and cello became more passionate, longing for whatever they desired most.

"I take also a favorite of yours, Sir?" Riza asked as he led her away from him, into a turn, followed by a spin – just to pull her back to him. They stood closer to each other than before, but her back was turned to him now – it touched his heaving chest.

"Hmm," he hummed into her ear before he turned her around in the starting position again. "It really is. But don't go and tell."

Riza gave him an amused look.

"_Anywhere you wander, anywhere you go_

_Every day remember how I love you so_

_In your heart believe what in my heart I know_

_That forevermore I'll wait for you"_

Mary sang calm for the most part – only stretching and highlighting a few syllables. But the lack of variety only helped to bring out the feeling of holding out for a distant love. The singer's face showed a mixture of determination and misery, capturing the attention of the awed audience.

Roy and Riza were closer to each other than before. But danced in the same circles.

They continued like that in silence. Slowly, inching closer towards each other and at the same time trying to distance themselves. It was like there was an invisible margin that would electrify them if they crossed it. Still. So close.

Riza felt her heart beating, faster than it should. She wanted to say something, but once their eyes met again the words were lost. They weren't needed.

She knew the song. It was popular when she was still an infant. Roy smiled warmly at her. She squeezed his hand softly before she realized what she was doing. Her dancing partner grinned as he spotted the little frown that had formed because of her automatic reaction.

_"The clock will tick away the hours one by one_

_Then the time will come when all the waiting's done_

_The time when you return and find me here and run_

_Straight to my waiting arms"_

Roy pulled her towards him again after another spin. It was like a hug.

Riza almost couldn't bear to look into his eyes anymore. These dark onyx eyes … they had this look again. Her heart just wouldn't stop.

It was silly. They were just dancing. They weren't exceeding any professional boundaries.

And yet ...

It was rare they were this close physically. She could feel his breath on her skin, had her hand in his, his gaze meeting her gaze so directly ...  
She tried her best to keep away, but Riza couldn't help but be drawn closer to him. His smell, it was everywhere, attracting her like a bee to a flower.  
He had kept that same cologne ever since he had been her superior.

Roy caught her after another spin again and hugged her tightly this time, her head rested on his chest briefly. It was long enough to notice that his heart was racing, too. Riza had to smile.

"_If it takes forever I will wait for you_

_For a thousand summers, I will wait for you_

_Till you're here beside me, till I'm touching you_

_And forevermore sharing our love "_

The band and Mary truly played up now – giving their all to bring out the full passion of the piece.

The Brigadier General and her knew each other for so long. Still, the simplest and tiniest thing …  
Suddenly she remembered something from long ago.

His eyes.

The first time they had ever danced – it had been when he was her father's subordinate. He had insisted on helping her with the dishes. They hadn't spent that much time together then, but that evening she remembered vividly. And at the same time it felt like it was an eternity ago.

Just like today. He had recognized a song in the radio and after she teased him about tapping his foot to the beat, _Mr. Mustang_ suddenly asked if she would mind to dance. She hadn't minded.  
Riza had to stop herself from laughing, remembering the scene now. Her superior looked at her in the exact same way at this very moment.

No. The depth in his eyes was different. But she felt the same warmth.

"_Till you're here beside me, till I'm touching you"_

The song was about to end. Riza expected Roy to spin her around one last time, but he didn't. Instead he held her close … and ended their dance with no special move.

_"And forevermore I will wait for you~"_

Instead, they finished with the never changing circle, dancing slowly, step by step.

Once the last note faded everyone began to clap, bewitched by the performance.

"Thank you!" Mary hushed simply, before striding down the stage – not even waiting for the applause to ebb away.

The band bowed and exited as well, finally taking a break again. Theirs would be shorter than Mary's, though.

"Thanks for the dance, Captain."

'Thanks for the dance, Riza' was what echoed in her head – from so long ago.

Underneath it all … he hadn't changed.

"No, need to thank me. You asked me to keep you company, didn't you?" Riza smiled slightly at him as they exited the dance floor. Halfway to the bar they finally let go of their still entangled hands, without looking at each other.

"My loyal subordinate like always …" Roy chuckled and looked at his suddenly cold hand.

.ooOoOoOoOoOoOoOoo.

Author's Notes:

OMFG another title drop!

Yes, that very song is main inspiration behind the whole plot and theme – all sprung in my head from listening to it. And it just wouldn't leave, so I had to put it down.  
For the Germans among you a fun fact: Connie Francis is the same person that sang _"Schöner Fremder Mann"_. Yes! XD

And I bow with tears of joy in my eyes before everyone that reviewed, alerted and favorited. I am so very honored! *cries like a moved Armstrong* You're so wonderful! T_T

Btw: This story **won** OtakuOnlineStop's "_Best Fan Fiction Summer Heat Poll"_! Wow. It's crazy! I'm very honored. So honored I can't really phrase it! Thanks to everyone who voted for this story! I feel so appreciated now! :'D

On to the usual: Feel free to leave a review! :D I love those. Even the ones with critique! … and non Haiku ones, too ;) That's also the place to bash me for my lateness :( I deserve it.

See you next time as well, hopefully!

The sorry one


	10. Lucky To Meet You Here

**Chapter 10:  
Lucky To Meet You Here**

Emma Johnson sat calmly on the floor, observing the body lying in front of her. She hadn't moved in a while. Emerson hadn't moved either. He was dead. The culprit had realized that a long time ago, still screaming and crying then.

Emma felt such pain and despair that she couldn't move anymore. So many emotions soared up from deep within – so many that didn't make sense. Regret, pain and hate mingled with the despair that wasn't Emma Johnson's.

Emma's hand was lying in the red puddle connecting the dead man and herself. The puddle wasn't warm anymore – the blood was cold just like Emerson. Emma lifted her hand up and watched as a few droplets fell down and traced down her arm. She chuckled, not being able to react in any other manner anymore. She dipped her hand into the puddle of blood and made sure her hand was soaking wet before she pulled it out and wrote on the floor next to it:

"Achi loves Vivi"

It was written in English. With the blood that had run through the heart and veins of the person madly in love with his murderer. But the culprit wasn't even able to grasp the situation – let alone the irony.

Emma stood up slowly. Her knees were cracking as she did so. She slowly walked out of the room, not turning around to look at the passed Emerson. She had watched him long enough.

Emma smiled sadly as the wind greeted her as she exited the house.

_It hurts so much._

.ooOoOoOoOoOoOoOoo.

The knife was brought down fast, but precisely. It had neatly cut the first piece.

Ed grinned proudly at his bride, together they held the knife and finally cut their pompous cake. It had three stories and was decorated heavily in all the colors the rainbow had to offer. It was Armstrong's wedding present. They had no idea how he had managed to bring it, but it sure was a sight. Winry had told him they could just get a cake from the local bakery, but the muscle man had insisted that he would bring her the cake of her dreams! More like his dreams, but Winry was still impressed. The putti with little mustaches might have been too much, but it was big enough for all guests so she gladly took the first piece and tried to feed Edward with a big marzipan heart. Tried and failed.

"You made this wonderful cake by yourself, Mr. Armstrong?" Mei gasped impressed. It was a cake worthy of a princess.

"The recipe has been passed down the Armstrong family for generations!" The former Major exclaimed proudly. Alphonse – who stood next to them – wondered if he had just imagined that the cake sparkled like its maker. Not wanting to listen to more of the starting cake talk, Al excused himself to get them new drinks.

The older Elric wasn't able to escape the cake in all its glory, though. Edward avoided the heart shaped 'plane' Winry tried to land on his tongue the second time.

"Go away with that!"

"Come on, don't be such a killjoy!" She grinned enjoying to torment him with their over-decorated piece of cake. "It's a symbol of our looooove~"

Ed opened his mouth to protest – not to let her have her way: "You certainly drank too much already."

"You drank too less, my honey." Winry pursed her lips and pouted childishly. She dropped the little heart on her plate and reached for the bottle of champagne in the silver bucket next to her. Edward watched his wife while she tried to refill their glasses gracefully – and ended up overfilling both.

"Might be a sign if you get less than the table …" Edward muttered.

.ooOoOoOoOoOoOoOoo.

Alphonse was in a tight spot and he knew it. He had left Mei's side to get them something from the bar (and escape Armstrong's rant about icing) – and had run directly into Mary West, who was delighted to force her company onto him.

"Oh my dear boy, I saw you dancing with that lovely Xingese girl! She's the same you were with at the 'Red Barrel', right?" Mary put her arm around Al's shoulders, coming close like she always did. She was easily as tall as him. The stern look of the eagle on her golden locket reminded Al to look up and to meet Mary's sharp eyes.

"Yes, she was. She's my girlfriend! Her name is Mei-" Al noticed that one of the feathers from Mary's boa had loosened and slowly glided down her bosom. "She's my girlfriend!"

Mary grinned and caressed his shoulder.

"Do me a favor and have a drink with me, okay? Don't worry I'll release you soon, so your sweetie won't miss you." The older woman winked and grabbed his hand, pulling him to the bar. "What do you drink, my dear?"

"Ah, wine is fine!" Al was a little startled by the sudden change in her voice – the flirting way in which she normally spoke was gone. Instead her tone was soft, almost motherly. He watched as she ordered a glass of wine and a scotch without ice. The young blond suddenly felt awkward, the air around her was different. Al decided to begin a talk:

"Your performance today is really great, Mary!"

The chanteuse handed him his glass and smiled warmly:

"Thank you, you're so sweet. To the lovely couple!" She raised her glass.

"To Ed and Winry!" Al responded to the toast and clinked glasses with her.

After Mary had swallowed a big gulp of the ten year old scotch, she said in a low voice:

"You two … you didn't have it easy, did you?"

Alphonse was surprised that Mary suddenly brought up their past. She never had asked the Elric brothers about it before.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to bring you down, Alphonse. I just heard a lot about you two." She eyed him, Al felt like she pierced through him with her gaze. He shifted his weight to his left leg.

"Ah, no … it's okay. You must have heard a lot here at the wedding, huh?"

Mary chuckled: "Everywhere, my dear boy, everywhere. The whole city told me about you. You two are very famous in East City- no, in all of Amestris. Real celebrities!"

"I guess ..." Al was a bit embarrassed and scratched his ear, trying to avoid her eyes.

It suddenly was as if they were alone in the room. All the noises and chatter around them were silenced.

"Ha ha, still so modest! … But there are no heroes with an easy past, huh? I'm sorry about all your losses." Her words of condolence were low, but sincere. "Must have been hard."

The faces of those left behind flashed up in Alphonse's mind. Not just his mother, but the faces of all those who had died before the promised day had ended, too. Alphonse glanced over to Elicia. She was playing with Xiao-Mei and laughing happily.

"Thank you." Al responded seriously, locking eyes with her as he straightened up.

"Hmm, I like that look in your eyes. You're strong." Mary grinned slightly. "Is it true you lived as a suit of armor for some time?"

The young man nodded: "Yes, for 5 years."

"5 years? That's pretty long." Mary took another sip of her scotch, sighing pleased as it ran down her throat. To Al's surprise she didn't seem to find it unusual at all.

"... you're not going to ask how that's even possible?"

"Well, you aren't lying, my love, right?" The singer smiled at him. "To live in a body that's not yours … not even able to feel warmth anymore … didn't you ever loose your mind about it?"

Al shook his head.

"Sometimes my body pulled me back, but … no, to be honest - I wasn't good with dealing with it. It was only thanks to Ed. And everyone. They always treated me like a human, so I always felt like one." The younger Elric made a fist, having to smile when he remembered how much bigger his metallic one had been. He felt warmth rising up from deep within as he remembered how much his brother had gone through for him.

"You two are lucky to have each other." Mary played with her oversized locket, absentmindedly. "So you never lost your mind? … That's quite remarkable of your brother. To have done such a stable soul affixation at such a young age! And your body was at the gate the whole time?"

Alphonse's eyes widened as he realized that Mary seemed to know what she was talking about: "You know about the gate?"

"Ha ha, don't act so surprised!" Mary chuckled and patted him softly on the shoulder. "Just because I'm an outstanding singer doesn't mean I'm not knowledgeable about anything else!"

Al couldn't wipe his surprise off his face: "Don't tell me you're an alchemist, Mary!"

"Hell no! My dear Mister ..." She tapped her golden locket. "My first husband. He was one. You're bound to pick something up when you're married to an alchemist. I'm sure our lovely Winry is already able to recite all the main things."

"Oh, I see! … But how did you … don't tell me he opened the gate?" Al spilled some of his wine since he almost let his glass fall down

Mary snorted and crossed her legs.

"Don't be ridiculous! Nothing like that. He read about it in the notes of his former master, but I don't know any details."

"… I see." Alphonse slowly calmed down, but wasn't sure what to make of it.

Mary leaned forward and whispered: "Do you know that blond officer?" She nodded towards Havoc.

Al nodded slowly, hoping that Jean hadn't done anything stupid. Or that Mary didn't plan on doing something stupid with him.

"Is he single?" Mary grinned at him.

'The latter.' Alphonse thought. But at least she was her old self again, emitting the same strong aura as before.

"He actually is … as far as I'm informed."

"Wonderful!" Mary hugged Al briefly (but tightly) before she began to leave. "Let's talk later again, okay? Have some fun with your sweetie pie while I'm gone!"

"I've been replaced ..." Alphonse said to himself, before he finally got the drinks for him and Mei.

.ooOoOoOoOoOoOoOoo.

"Is that seat occupied?" Roy smiled gallantly at Winry and Edward, pulling the chair next to Winry to him.

"Yes, it is and it always will be if you're the one asking." Edward grimaced, not wanting to get teased by the Brigadier General. And that just had to be his motivation for coming to their table. The groom still had enough of that from his bachelor party.

But to Ed's dismay Mustang ignored him like he always did and seated himself next to the bride.

"Do you want some sparkling wine, Mr. Mustang?" Winry smiled at him, obviously happy he had joined them.

"Like I could say no if the beautiful bride asks!" Mustang grinned charmingly.

"Isn't Miss Riza with you?" Mei asked from the other side of the table. She had joined the newly wed couple at their table together with Alphonse.

Mustang looked away, a bored expression on his face. "She went to check on Catalina."

"She fled from you?" Edward started to chuckle, but he felt a high-heeled shoe stomp on his foot, putting a halt to his amusement.

"Ha ha!" Winry chuckled, not showing any sign of her violence towards her husband. "Rebecca is drinking a lot today, it sure is better Riza stops her before she gets as drunk as yesterday!"

Before Ed could question what the hell Winry was doing, she shushed him with a quick whisper to the side: _"Don't you ruin this opportunity for me!"_

"But Lieutenant Catalina-"

This time Winry pinched his leg under the table, so hard he thought she might have popped a vein or two. That was the kind of violence you had to live with when you hook up with a childhood friend ...

"_Shhh!" _

Edward could see the fire in her eyes – she was on to something.

The Brigadier General didn't seem to notice the exchange, Alphonse had started a conversation with him:

"Uh … Brigadier General? Did you by any chance saw Mary West?"

Ed whispered this time: _"But Lieutenant Catalina is right there with John. No Captain as far the eye can see! Why can't I throw that in his face?"_

"Actually, I did. She's with Havoc at the bar." Mustang answered Alphonse's question. He raised an eyebrow at the whispering of the happy couple.

"_Just don't! I want to ask him a few things ..." _Winry commanded with her mouth and pleaded with her eyes. Edward threw up his hands in defeat.

"Ah … she really did it." Alphonse sighed

"Apparently she just walked up to him and asked if he could light her cigarette. They've been drinking and flirting like crazy since then." The Brigadier General said in a bored voice while he glanced at his silver pocket watch. "The Captain and I had the pleasure of standing right next to them, so we got a good view."

Mei seemed to be the only one truly shocked: "What? Mrs. West and that officer Havoc?"

The young girl stood up – on her chair – to affirm the unexpected union and nearly fell down when she spotted them.

"Oh my god, she kissed him!" Mei squealed in surprise.

"Lucky bastard." Mustang grunted, not even turning his head to see it for himself.

"That was just a quick peck on the lips." Winry seemed a bit let down, she had jumped up to see them, leaning on Ed for standing support.

The Xingese girl slowly sat down again, Al took her hand and patted it softly.

"B-but isn't she like 15 years older?"

Winry gave a shrug and exclaimed casually: "But she certainly doesn't look like it. She's undeniably hot."

The men at the table nodded in agreement.

"Alphonse – you too?" Mei whimpered dramatically. "I see that's why you let her hold you up for such a long time before … she hugged you so passionately, too ..."

"You were watching me?" It slipped out of Al before he could focus on the main issue. "Er, no! I mean- She just looks good for her age, that's all! Y-you were surprised about her age, too- I mean! It's not like I like her or anything- I- " Sweat drops were starting to form on Al's forehead.

"You look so wonderful today!" Al took her hand and kissed it frantically.

His girlfriend examined him sceptically. "You mean it?"

"Of course, I do!" Al's cheeks reddened a bit as he felt his declaration coming: "I love you, Mei! And no one else!"

"Oh, Alphonse-sama!" She squealed – happily this time – and threw herself into his arms to glomp him. "I love you, too!"

"Here, General!" Winry finally handed Mustang the promised sparkling wine – and only spilled a few drops in the process.

Mustang took the glass with a smile. "I'm only a Brigadier General, but you can go ahead and call me that. It will be the truth soon enough! Ha, just joking!" The_ Brigadier_ General laughed out loud.

Edward bit his lip to stop himself from commenting. Winry's hand was still positioned on his lap and it didn't mean any good this time around that he was sure of.

His bride however joined in and laughed as well, she raised her glass happily.

"A toast!" The bride was turning her back to Edward, only focusing on Mustang. He seemed to enjoy that and grinned, raising his glass as well.

"A toast!" The high ranked officer repeated, amused.

Winry looked him in the eyes as she spoke: "To love – to true love, the biggest gift of all."

The bride could see the change in Mustang's eyes. She had to smile as they clinked glasses.

"... to love." The dark haired man echoed simply, but he continued in his previous grand tone: "The biggest gift of all!"

Edward wasn't entirely sure what his wife was after, but his guess was that it had to do with Captain Hawkeye. To become jealous when his bride deeply locked eyes with a philanderer like Mustang and toasted "love" didn't even cross his mind.

Winry had only begun her strike and was preparing to lure him in slowly to get the information she was after. To her dismay that chance was taken from her.

"I'm sincerely sorry to disturb- Brigadier General Roy Mustang?" A waiter had approached them from behind, bowing slightly.

"Yes?" The man in question turned around. Mustang already had an idea what he must have come for and stood up, ready to follow the waiter.

"A phone call for you, Sir. A Lieutenant Maverick."

.ooOoOoOoOoOoOoOoo.

A little boy, around 6 years old, was lost. He had just wanted to play some more with his friends – so he had sneaked out after dinner and had gone back to the playground. But he somehow didn't find his way back home now. He must have turned left instead of right somewhere, not paying attention because he had tried to walk on the lines of the sidewalk only. Before he knew it, it was dark and late into the evening – or even night already?

He had no idea where he was. None of the buildings seemed familiar. The little Bennet had lost his way.

The young boy stopped at another corner he didn't recognize and finally started to cry, not being able to hold his panic in anymore.

Bennet wasn't lucky today.

The streets where deserted. He had landed in an industrial corner and all workers had left hours ago.

'Benny' as his mother called him tenderly, wasn't that far away from home actually. His mother was also already searching for him desperately, screaming her heart out. Only a bit more and she would be close enough for him to hear her cries.

But Bennet wasn't lucky today.

He ran into someone by chance. It was Emma Johnson.

The boy had run into her full force after turning left at another unknown corner and fell to the ground as he hit her.

Bennet first wanted to apologize but then he looked up at the woman in front of him. Blood all over her, her mouth was distorted into a maniacally grin, deep scratches were on her cheeks – he screamed in horror at the sight.

The little boy wanted to run away, sensing the imminent danger. But he wasn't lucky tonight.

He was too slow to react, too shocked to move immediately, too young to shake of his fear and to turn it into adrenalin and use it for his escape. The woman in front of him didn't need long to react.

She screamed as well when she threw the little boy against a nearby wall forcefully.

Before Bennet was even able to lift his head up fully, he felt Emma's hand hitting his head hard.

From a few blocks away the screams of Bennet's mother were starting to reach the place where the little boy was leaning against a wall. But they didn't reach him.

Bennet wasn't lucky today.

.ooOoOoOoOoOoOoOoo.

**Author's Note:**  
I'm pondering if I should fry puppies next time. Good idea?

Seriously though, the story is starting to pick up from now on. Yes, the plot! The whole mystery will start to unravel, so stay tuned! (of course our heroes play a key role :P)  
I'm actually totally psyched about the next chapter, so I hope I'll finish it soon. It's gonna be longer again, too. This chapter is pretty much just a bridge chapter, sorry D:

Of course **thank you** all for reading! Alerting! **Reviewing!** And being awesome in general!  
I appreciate everything I get from you guys – appreciate it lots and lots! :x

No, the subtle bold-ing of "**Reviewing!"** is not a subliminal message of course … :D  
You're free to leave me a review, though. Won't hold it against ya. I swear!

cheers,  
the striped one~


	11. Just Once In A While

Long story short: My laptop crashed and my back up failed me. Means: I lost all I had written and prepared. All my notes, almost done ch. 11, half done ch. 12, my outline, future scenes, my other unfinished stories .. everything -.-

It took me sometime to retrieve enough from my brain to get this story on digital paper again (to rewrite this chapter for starters).  
I'm still pretty pissed about the whole data loss, but I'm truly sorry that I'm .. late .. AGAIN. Goddamit!  
Please blame my pretty but overheating laptop :( Hope it gets screwed hard at maintenance as punishment.

On the bright side: This is one of the longer chapters! That I wrote twice now! **Joy!**

Special thanks and a lot of love to **IzumiTheMoogle** who betad again!

But here we go, hope you enjoy!~

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**Chapter 11:**

**Just Once In A While**

First Lieutenant Belasco Maverick massaged the bridge of his nose. He stood in a telephone booth and listened to the noise at the other side of the line. Maverick was wearing his glasses tonight. He rarely did.

His superior wouldn't like this. Maverick knew that for sure. But it was his duty to report this, so he would. There was now officially a murder connected to Mustang's case of missing persons.

The victim had been interrogated just before it happened, of all things. This was going to be a scandal. It might even endanger Mustang's promotion. And he took the case to improve his image to begin with.

Maverick turned around as he heard one of the MPs calling him, but the tall man silenced him with a small wave of his hand.

"Brigadier General Mustang speaking." The receiver finally crackled, interrupting the racket of the party.

Maverick straightened up as if his superior had emerged in front of him:

"First Lieutenant Maverick here, Sir. I sincerely apologize for the disturbance-"

"Just shoot." Mustang interrupted the Lieutenant calmly.

"Yes, Sir. There was another sighting of our missing person – Emma Johnson. But more importantly: we've found Emerson Chadwick – the fiancée of Johnson - murdered in her house."

Maverick waited a few seconds for a reaction or a question, but the Brigadier General kept silent, only some cheering and music being heard in the background.

The tall man continued: "A woman living nearby alarmed us. Ms. Johnson walked past the witness who was on her way home – Johnson was covered in blood. We are already interviewing all the neighbors, but it doesn't look as if we'll get truly useful information from them."

Maverick paused again, but only to be met with more silence.

"Mr. Chadwick seems to have been struck dead. The supposed murder weapon was found next to him. We have also found a message supposedly written by the murderer, but I don't want to give too many details since this isn't a secure line."

"Your course of action?" The Brigadier General inquired finally.

"Sir!" Maverick cleared his throat before he continued.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Ah thank you, Riza! You're a life saver." Gracia breathed a sigh of relief and peeked over her shoulder to examine the blonde's work.

"Don't worry about it. I actually have to admire how prepared you are – carrying a needle and stitch with you to a wedding like that." Riza stuck the needle into the middle of the multicolored spool of thread and handed it back to her friend.

"If not to a wedding, where else?" Gracia chuckled. "Did you learn to sew in the military?"

"No," Riza leaned against one of the basins in the bathroom. "Before that. I learned the basics when I was still a child."

Gracia examined herself in the mirror and fixed her dress to fit properly.

"Really, I was lucky you were there. Can you believe the strap just broke like that? I wouldn't have been able to fix it myself. Unless I undressed of course!" The mother laughed. She pulled at the repaired strap to confirm its durability. "Hmm, good work."

Riza grinned, "Of course. I wouldn't have offered my help if I wasn't capable of doing it sufficiently."

Gracia giggled and stepped towards the Captain to fix her properly with her eyes: "You are – no matter how wonderful you are – way too serious about everything."

"It's just common sense." The blonde sighed, unimpressed. Gracia liked to point out her seriousness almost as much as much Rebecca whined about it. The Brigadier General rarely commented on it.

Riza silently watched Gracia pack all her belongings that she had brought to surface as she searched for her sewing kit. Lip stick, a little stuffed toy, a purse that was two times bigger than Riza's and had bright red stitches, a pocket mirror, a comb, patches in pink ... It looked as if Gracia could spontaneously leave the country with her handbag alone. Riza wasn't even able identify every shiny item. She looked down at her own bag. It was the size of Gracia's wallet.

"So, having fun tonight?" Gracia asked innocently as she retrieved the plush bunny again to place a little bottle at the bottom of her bag first.

"Yes, it's a nice evening." The officer replied dryly.

"You even danced." Gracia stated, her innocent tone unchanged. She closed her bag, finally done with packing.

"I did." Riza closed her eyes. Her tone stayed unchanged as well.

"Just that one dance?"

The Captain understood the implication.

"Yes."

Gracia looked at her friend for a while before she sighed and went to the door.

"Whatever suits you ..." Gracia opened the door, but looked back at Riza before she exited and said gently, "Go and guard your superior a bit more. Come over to a cup of coffee again soon, ok? Elicia would be happy, too."

Riza smiled and nodded, before she followed: "Yes, I'll come by soon again."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The blond man stumbled around, looking around in a frenzy.

"MURRY!" He shouted and placed his hand on another woman's shoulder with chestnut hair.

"Eek!" The woman stepped away from the stranger in horror. He reeked of alcohol.

"Havoc!" Denny and Maria screamed in unison, shocked by his behavior. "What the hell are you doing?"

The man in question slowly turned around, vaguely registering his name. He narrowed his eyes, obviously trying to identify the people that called him. Jean's conclusion was announced aloud:

"Not as curvy! Not Murry!" He screamed while pointing his finger past both Denny and Maria. He was pointing at their swirling doppelgangers.

"What did you say?" Maria barked as she strode over to him. Jean almost fell over his own feet as he tried to flee from the two Marias, but it was in vain – the right one got him.

Maria had grabbed the taller and by far drunker man by his ear.

"Jeez, how much did you drink?" Denny had slowly followed and raised an eyebrow at the back and forth wobbling Havoc.

"Not mu- Ouch!" He cried as Maria yanked at his ear to get his attention.

"What were you doing, Havoc? Weren't you with that West?"

"West?" Havoc looked at her like a little boy that had just dropped his ice cream on the floor. "West! Murry! Have ya' seen 'er? You're a Murry-a, you gotta know!"

Maria just raised an eyebrow: "What?"

"MURRY! Where did cha go?" The drunk suddenly cried and tried to just walk away, totally forgetting his ear-lock. "OW!"

"Ah, I think he lost Mary!" Denny stated, planting himself to Havoc's other side.

"... I wouldn't have guessed, Denny."

Maria's boyfriend just grinned, embarrassed at her comment, and turned to Jean again:

"Where did you see her last?"

"That's not the-" Ross began, but was cut short by her fellow Lieutenant who practically screamed every word:

"She said she'd just go to … what wassit again? Dunno. But she said she'd come again soon!"

"It doesn't matter. You, Sir, are way too drunk! You have to leave now. You smell like you fell into a barrel of whiskey!"

"... Most of it was vodka ..." Jean noted absentmindedly.

"... Are you staring at my breasts, Lieutenant?" Ross gritted her teeth as she followed his eyes.

"Nuh?" Havoc answered innocently, not even bothering to shift his gaze up.

The female officer shoved Havoc towards Denny violently. Her boyfriend just managed to catch him, preventing the walking bottle to fall down terribly.

"Bring him to bed!" Maria snapped before she furiously stormed away.

Denny just forced a smile and nodded.

"You know … I know they're pretty, but you really shouldn't stare like that … specially, since she's my girlfriend and stuff ..."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Riza looked at her watch as she climbed the stairs and memorized the time.

She had spotted Mustang at the other side of the room right away as she had exited the bathroom. She always scanned the room for him, first thing. It was a conditioned reflex from all the time she had served under him.

But she hadn't walked over to him this time. Instead she went upstairs. She didn't know why.

She followed the empty corridor, and at its end a door was open. Riza peeked into the dark room and entered. The room was bigger than she had expected. All four walls were almost fully covered by bookshelves. The Captain reached for the upper light switch. A few lamps on the desks in the middle of the room and those on the tiny tables besides old armchairs and lounges lit up. Riza liked the dim light and left the other switches untouched.

There was all kind of books. Fiction, fairytales, education, science- she stopped in front the little label that said "Alchemy". Hesitatingly, Riza stepped towards the shelf and pulled one of the thick books out.

She opened the book at a random page and flipped through it slowly, only recognizing and understanding a few symbols and formulas here and there.

Her father had owned the very same one.

Riza had held it in her hands a few times as a child. Once her father had walked in and slapped it out of her grasp immediately. He scolded her for hours.

He had never wanted her to learn alchemy. She never did.

But she was allowed to carry the secrets of flame alchemy.

She pushed the book back into the shelf so hard it hit the wall loudly.

Riza shook her head. Unnecessary thoughts.

'I've severed my bond to you and alchemy.'

She stepped away, but still faced the bookshelf.

'But what would you say? If you saw me in my uniform? If you knew I've killed? If you knew I told him your secrets?'

The shelf kept silent. Of course it did.

'I'm being idiotic here …' She shook her head again and turned her back to the alchemy section.

Riza sighed and started to leave, but another book caught her eye on the way out. This time it was in the fiction department, under "Romance".

It was the book she was currently reading: 'Under The Willows'

She pulled it out slowly and examined the cover. It was an older print than hers, and obviously battered and used. But the book looked classy in its own way. Riza let her fingers trace over the golden letters on the spine and felt their smooth borders.

"Party so boring you needed something to read, Captain?" A very familiar voice asked.

Mustang leaned in the door frame, his expression hidden by the shadow cast by the lamps in the hall.

His subordinate dearly hoped he hadn't been standing there the whole time. But considering her intuition, that was unlikely.

"No, it just caught my eye." She answered and put the book back in its shelf swiftly.

Mustang scratched his head and looked over his shoulder before he entered, pulling the door shut behind him.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"So are you going to have kids now?"

Edward spit the contents of his mouth back into his glass.

Winry just forced a chuckle and waved the question off: "Not yet, not yet."

"Aw." Elicia pulled a face, but still wore her puppy eyes. "Please get a girl! They're more fun to play with!"

"Oh, don't say that. That's not true; boys are lots of fun toplay with!" Winry slurred slightly and grabbed her glass again, but didn't drink from it yet. She patted her husband's leg to emphasize her point. "I played with Ed and Al all the time as a child!"

"They were nice to you?"

"... Not exactly … but it was still fun." The bride shrugged and gulped half of her champagne down.

Edward scoffed: "Hey, we weren't that bad!"

"... Sometimes we were, Ed." Alphonse cut in, closing his eyes as he remembered the days of their childhood. "Oh god, do you remember when you broke Snuffles and put his leftovers in Den's basket, so it looked like Den was the culprit?"

"I do." Winry dryly stated while she examined the last drops in her glass.

"Oh come on! It wasn't just me! It was your fault that thing fell down to begin with!" Ed barked at his brother, but also noticed the glare from his wife. He sighed and handed her the champagne bottle. She accepted it happily.

"Or when we played hide and seek and just left Winry behind ..."

"Oh man! Just stop it already!" The groom shouted. "I can't believe you remember all that stuff."

"Someone has to remember at least." Al grinned and clinked glasses with Winry.

Ed grabbed the bottle and refilled his glass (to the delight of Winry, since her dear husband had proclaimed he didn't want to drink anymore). "Bet you won't remember that much of that once Mei is back – would ruin your prince image, eh?"

"That has nothing to do with it." Alphonse grinned and clinked glasses with Ed this time.

"Uhm- Sorry, to disturb you Mr. Elric." A squeaky voice interrupted them.

A tiny man, holding a bowler hat in his hands nervously stood right behind Al. He looked like he was afraid of getting eaten by them.

"I- I- don't want do disturb. But- Ah I'm Ricky, the cellist. Actually it's Richard Kean, but everyone calls me Ricky … Fo-forgive my manners, please!"

Alphonse smiled at him and put a hand on his shoulder: "No need to be so formal, Ricky. We've meet a few times already!"

"Ah, Sorry. I- I didn't forget or anything, I just- Sorry, to impose on you!" He fidgeted with his hat wildly, explaining why it looked so worn out. His suit looked worn out, too. His eyes flew into a different direction every second. But he always seemed nervous. So many people must have taken a toll on him.

"Do you want something from me?" Ed pointed his thumb at himself: "Or are you here for Al?"

"I'm here for Alphonse Elric!" He proclaimed firmly, surprising the whole table. But he immediately fell back in his squirrel like demeanor: "Ah … I- I mean … I came for you Mr. Elric. I mean- Mr. Alphonse Elric."

Ricky ran his fingers through his hair, smiling nervously. His receding hairline seemed to win against his magnificent head of hair slowly.

"As I said – there is no need to be so formal, Ricky!" Al patted his shoulder again. "What is it? Don't worry about it!"

"I uhm … I'm a little embarrassed about it, but … could you maybe come with me for a minute? I- I need your help … but it's a little private … I-"

"Sure!" Al stood up and continued to smile gently at the small man. He turned to the newlyweds: "Excuse me for a bit!"

"Have fuu~un!" Elicia and Winry singsonged together.

"Ah, yeah … sorry, just this way ..." They heard Ricky mutter while they left.

"He's such a weirdo." Edward stated, but the two girls didn't seem to listen. Winry whispered something into her little sister's ear with her trademark grin. She was up to something again.

"No! I can't do that!" Elicia gasped and shook her head.

Winry clenched her fist to ignite Elicia's determination: "Sure you can! .. You want to right?"

Elicia gasped again and looked wide eyed from Winry to Edward.

Now realizing the subject was him, Ed twitched.

However, Edward tried to ignore them and concentrated on the music. It was only the piano and sax at the moment, but their duets didn't lack any quality or entertainment.

"You do, right?" Winry grinned a she spotted the desire in the child's eyes.

Elicia nodded slowly.

Winry pushed the little girl gently towards her husband: "Go ask, he won't bite."

Edward slowly turned to Elicia who was standing right next to him now. She looked at him with those big puppy eyes of hers.

He didn't want to ask: "... What is it, Elicia?"

The girl looked back to Winry for support. Winry smiled reassuringly and gave her a thumbs up.

"... What?" Edward was starting to get nervous.

'Baby questions again?' He thought.

Elicia asked untypically timid, "... Would you dance with me?"

Ed just looked wide eyed at her: "That's all?"

Elicia nodded, still rather quiet.

"Uh … sure." The groom stood up slowly. A smile started to form on his lips as he saw how Elicia's face lit up with pure joy.

"Yay!" She took his hand and pulled him to the dance floor, loudly proclaiming that one dance won't be enough – all prior shyness vanished.

"Ahh~, that's going to be so damn cute!" Winry told herself while she refilled her glass yet again. She took Edwards glass in her other hand and clinked glasses with herself.

"… I bet Mr. Mustang is done with his phone call already …"

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The closed door muffled the sound of the party in the dim room. He almost felt as if he suddenly was somewhere else entirely.

Mustang stepped over to his Captain. He grinned as he spotted the familiar book in the shelf.

"That's the one you're reading at the moment, isn't it?"

Mustang didn't look at her directly. Instead, he looked past her; seemingly totally absorbed by the books.

"Yes, it is." Hawkeye answered simply.

He could feel her eyes on him. She knew already. And he knew the answer before she had to ask:

"It was Lieutenant Maverick." The Brigadier General stated and pulled the book out of the shelf. He opened it randomly and seated himself in the nearby arm chair.

Hawkeye didn't move. She stood in place and simply watched him, waiting for the rest.

"Hmm, another romance novel isn't it?" Mustang slowly turned the pages, eyes on the book as if he was reading some passages.

"Yes, Sir." His Captain folded her arms and kept waiting.

He could feel her eyes on him still – she was examining him intently, reading him. But he didn't look her in the eye yet.

"'In the middle of the meadow - far away from the mansion but near the pavilion and right next to the lake - a few weeping willows stood. The oldest, tallest was my favorite. My mother never liked them, saying they looked too miserable. But I always appreciated their beauty.'" Mustang pretended to read aloud, but it was the very first paragraph of the novel – and not anywhere near the page in front of him. He finally looked up and met the Captain's eyes. She seemed to have noticed that he had recited the beginning of the book:

"So you've read it before?"

"Yeah." Mustang closed the book and averted his eyes to the ceiling.

"Emerson Chadwick was murdered."

Hawkeye's arms fell from her chest and her eyes grew wide. She immediately stepped towards her superior. She could've expected something happened, but a murder?

"He was found in Emma Johnson's house. Just a few hours after they had interrogated him. It has already caused a big ruckus."

"Sir, we have to-" The Captain began, but was cut short by Mustang's raised hand.

"You know Maverick – he's already taking care of everything. I've given him additional instructions, too. There's nothing we can do until we return. Even if there was a train before tomorrow morning, there is nothing we can do now."

"So we just-"

"Enjoy the party. And let the others enjoy it."

Hawkeye stared at him for a few seconds longer before she walked over to the writing desk next to the armchair, leaning on it with her hands. She was clearly distraught, but not many besides Mustang would have seen it.

"Understood." She finally said and thus affirmed her silence over the matter.

Mustang leaned onto the arm rest and let his head rest on his arm. He looked up at his Captain, trying to read her for a change.

Her amber eyes were the ones not looking at him now.

It wasn't just the murder. They were used to people dying by now – as horrible as it sounded. It was surprising the weird but harmless case finally took a crueler turn … But they had been aware of the possibility from the beginning. That's why they had wanted to solve it as soon as possible. But his Captain also knew that his promotion wasn't possible anymore before the case was closed and the culprit caught. And they had no solid lead whatsoever.

"Did they find any leads?" Hawkeye looked at him again.

"Plenty." Mustang drummed on the book in his lap with his fist as he leaned into the back rest. "He didn't give me many details, but Ms. Johnson apparently was there, too. She is our prime subject as of now."

The Brigadier General smiled, but he was far from happy. Their objective hadn't changed at all. They still had to find Ms. Johnson. Magnificent.

"I shouldn't have made this my case, right?" He asked more weakly than he had intended to.

Hawkeye looked at him a little surprised before she sighed and turned around. She leaned on the desk again, now facing the shelf just like the Brigadier General. Smiling she said:

"You did what you always do."

Mustang groaned heavily and stood up.

"We'll get him. We'll solve this and bring whoever is behind this to justice." He proclaimed, eyes on the ceiling.

"Yes, Sir." Hawkeye matched the determined tone of her superior, but kept on smiling slightly.

Mustang turned to his Captain, letting the book rest on his shoulder.

"You're smiling a lot today." A smile formed on his lips as well as he spoke.

"You're the one who is in an absurdly good mood today, Sir." She locked eyes with him, but didn't move an inch.

"Until you got that phone call at least." She added in a low voice. The Captain averted her gaze again – she focused on the little flower in his buttonhole instead of his eyes now.

"Enough of work for now." He chuckled, but it felt hollow.

Hawkeye smirked, seeing how he ruffled through his hair: "You never stop working, Sir."

He watched her blankly for a moment before he stepped over to her, grinning broadly now.

"I do. Very often even."

"For sleeping?" His Captain asked, eying him sharply.

"Not only." Her amber eyes pierced through him. Her eyes were the only thing he was always able to read. Most of the time at least.

Mustang came closer without realizing it. He had that feeling again. It had surfaced a few times today already.

"Are you suggesting I should go on even more dates, Captain?"

The air in the room was suddenly different.

They were alone.

Her lips caught his eye.

This had happened before.

He should just leave. Go to where other people were. But his body didn't do what his head told him to.

Mustang stood right in front of her now. Hawkeye still hadn't moved, she only pressed herself harder into the table behind her. He could see that her grip on its edge had tightened.

"Maybe." His Captain answered him in a hushed voice. Her eyes flew over him.

He wanted to pull away – he had to – but instead he came even closer. He bit his lip as he leaned forward – only to put the book onto the desk behind her.

He was too close.

His heart was beating so fast and loud it absorbed the noise from outside. Even more so as he noticed that her eyes rested on _his_ lips.

Was it the alcohol that suddenly took its toll on them?

"Captain," Mustang titled his head slightly as he spoke. "do you happen to have some time today?"

He wasn't allowed to say something like that. Yet he heard himself say it. But to his surprise his Captain started to chuckle and pulled away.

"I actually don't have much time anymore."

Mustang titled his head again, this time caused by confusion.

"I have to die-" Hawkeye glanced at her watch. "in 13 minutes."

Her superior raised an eyebrow: "The evil killer got you? You of all people?"

"Yes. On my way here."

"It surprises me you're even playing." He laughed but didn't move away. Something deep inside him didn't let him.

"Well, I wasn't asked." She whispered lowly.

"And you wanted to spend your last 13 minutes finishing the book you're reading currently?"

"I had no objective in mind when I came here." She looked at the book beside her. "I just happened to stumble into this library."

Hawkeye turned to Mustang and locked eyes with him yet again.

"You should step away." Her voice was sharp. Her eyes weren't.

"I know." Mustang simply stated, but he was breathing heavily. "You should push me away."

"I know." Her voice was firm, but her eyes were fixed on his lips again. She smiled weakly.

Mustang felt lost. The lump in his chest tightened and urged him further. Neither of them pulled away. Neither of them pushed the other away.

He leaned forward slowly. His left hand positioned itself next to hers, his right reached for her face. Her head came closer. And slowly their lips reached for each other, until they finally met.

They immediately parted after their first contact – shying away just for a moment -

just to dive in again, more passionately this time.

Hawkeye placed one of her hands on his chest – first meaning to keep him away, but it ended up caressing him. Her other hand found his belt and two fingers sneaked between it and the fabric of Mustangs pants, pulling him closer.

He on the other hand was more than eager to follow the demand of her fingers and pressed himself against her – a moan escaped Riza's lips.

They parted, both breathing heavily. Roy rested his forehead against hers, his eyes still closed.

"We shouldn't do this."

"I know."

"I mean _ever_."

"I know."

"Yet we do."

"I know."

"Again ..."

"Yeah ..."

Roy sighed and let his head slide down on Riza's shoulder.

"Just once in a while ..."

"You always say that …"

"You always complain."

"You never listen."

"You're not listening to yourself ..." Roy breathed into her ear, embracing her tightly.

Silence.

"Just once in a while ..."

"Just once in a while."

Roy grinned against her neck, enjoying her smell and that her hand had found its way into his hair. He let his hands slide down her sides until he reached her waist. He gripped her gently and lifted her onto the table.

"Bad place, though."

"And bad time. Like always." Riza gave him a grin that made his heart beat even faster than it already was. Her eyes shined even in the barely lit room, but they also seemed darker.

"We're in a hurry, too ..." He said mockingly: "Don't give me that look – you were the one who set the time limit, my Captain."

Riza chuckled and glanced at her watch again: "Two minutes left actually ..."

"Hmm, a challenge suits me just fine ..." He whispered against her open lips.

Their kiss wasn't as passionately now, yet it was even more intense. They kissed slowly. Gently. Lovingly.

Roy felt like he would explode any moment. He wasn't sure if he was the one pressing her down or if she was the one pulling_ him_ down. It didn't matter.

Roy caressed her bare leg and let his hand slid up her belly …

But then they heard them. Screams from downstairs.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"SOMEONE! Someone please, come help!" It was Vanessa who stormed into the dance hall, screaming so loud the music stopped and everyone turned to face her.

"Someone! A doctor!" She frantically screamed.

Falman stormed forward to get a hold of his girlfriend: "What happened?"

"Mrs. West she-" Vanessa gasped. "She's bleeding! She needs help!"

The small woman pointed towards the door that led to the toilets and pulled Vato back with her.

Many of the guests pressed themselves forward to see what happened. A few had arrived before Vanessa had returned, but just stood there, too shocked to act immediately.

Mary West sat on the ground, leaning against the wall, only a few steps away from the toilets. Her eyes were closed. Blood was running down the side of her face.  
She didn't react to any of the people calling her name - she didn't move at all.

Falman knelled down and checked her pulse.

Unrest spread and people started screaming as it became clear that someone was hurt.

A young man came storming in from outside, stopping in the open door that led to the garden. It was Alphonse:

"Is she alright?" The younger Elric shouted.

"Alphonse!" Winry screamed as she saw him. Edward and she had shoved themselves to the front. Alphonse's head was bleeding, too.

"It's okay, she's still alive." Falman finally said. He turned around and commanded the people standing around the scene to make room.

"We need a doctor here!" Winry turned to the guests, scanning the mass of people for her Grandmother at least.

Vanessa practically jumped at Alphonse, her eyes still wide from shock: "What happened?"

"A man." Alphonse breathed. "He was hunching over her. I asked him what he was doing and then-"

"He hit you?" Winry gasped. Al nodded, suddenly putting his head on his forehead – as if he had just noticed the blood streaming down his face.

"Al!" Edward stepped towards his brother. "Did you follow him outside?"

"Yeah." Alphonse nodded, "But I lost him. So I returned to check on Mary."

Ed turned around only to find the military personnel already gathered behind him. Mustang and Hawkeye were just pressing themselves through the crowd.

Edward and Mustang exchanged a look before they nodded at each other.

"Breda, Ross, Armstrong and Hawkeye. Go with Fullmetal and search for whoever did this."

"Yes, Sir." They said in unison and followed Edward out of the door.

"Falman, Catalina, Fuery, Brosch and – where the hell is Havoc?"

"Drunk, Sir." Brosch informed his superior.

"... Falman, Catalina, Fuery and Brosch secure this place and close all exits."

"Yes, Sir." They said in unison.

Mustang raised his voice and turned to the rest of the hall:

"First of all: If a doctor is present please come forward immediately! Also: I'm sorry for the inconvenience, but no one can leave now. Please stay calm and obey our commands. And who is responsible for security?"

"Me!" A man dressed in black only a few feet away waved.

"Please come over here. We need to join forces right away."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Mei and Al put Mary gently into a secure lying position. Pinako examined the singer as thorough as she could at the moment.

"She's out for good." The elderly woman forced her eyes open and observed her pupils. "Seems like a strike on the head. But doesn't seem too bad."

Mei produced her iconic knives out of nowhere and threw them around Mary. "Step back – I'll stop the bleeding for now."

The canvas lit up, but Mary still didn't react. Not even with a groan.

Alphonse placed his blazer over Mary to keep her warm. But Mei immediately pulled him to the side and sat him down to look at his wound.

"Something is different about her ..." The Xingese girl pondered as she pressed a cloth on Al's forehead.

"What do you mean?" Winry inspected Mary once more – something was missing. "Her necklace! That big-ass golden locket!"

"Yes. But all of her jewelry is gone." Falman stated calmly. "No rings, no wristband, no watch."

"A robber?" Vanessa gasped.

"Would be the first conclusion ..." Falman knelled down again. He stroked his chin pensively.

"Why would someone rob someone at such a crowded place?" Winry asked, but something caught her attention. "What is that?"

She reached for Mary's décolleté. Something was peeking out of her bra. She slowly pulled at the white edge and produced a playing card.

The Joker greeted them with a wide grin.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Author's Babble:

You know ... I could have interrupted them, before they kissed … *ducks*

So, this closes the first part of the story!  
No fried puppies, but another crime, woot. And Royai gone physical.

So what do you think till now? What was boring? What was interesting or at least entertaining? What do you hope for? What are you interested in the most (e.g. which characters)? I'd love some opinions :)

Thank you like always! For reading, reviewing and alerting! It is very much appreciated! Everything gave me a lot of motivation, specially with all this crap going on, **thank you lots!**

Stay tuned for ch. 12!

cheerio,

the currently very unlucky but still striped one

PS: 'Under The Willows' is a fictional story as well and has no relation to existing works.


	12. The Next Day

[author babble]  
I'm starting to begin a short recap for this story, so it's easy to freshen up the memory and avoid confusion. Only takes a few minutes of my time after all. It's optional so I won't put it into the chapters themselves.

You can find the recap here for now:

the-striped-one(DOT)livejournal(DOT)com

(trade the "(DOT)"s for a "." ;D)  
… no, I have no idea how the LJ site works, but the html alternative would have been with ads so there! D:

A little style shift this time. Just once. ... (in a while? :P).  
[/author babble]

+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+

Chapter 12:

The Next Day

_Resembool, 6 June 1919_

_Interrogation #1 (Excerpt):  
Second Lieutenant Vanessa Brown, Briggs_

_Querist(s): First Lieutenant Breda  
Protocol: Warrant Officer Brosch  
Excerpt: Captain Hawkeye_

[...]

Breda: "What is your relationship to Mary West?"

Brown: (nervous) "I don't have one. Yesterday was the first time I met her. (pauses) I actually haven't really met her, I only saw her performing and talking to others from a distance. I never talked to her."

Breda: "What is your relationship to Edward and Winry Elric?"

Brown: "Again, I don't have one. I met them yesterday for the first time, too. I was only Lieutenant Falman's company. He was the only one I knew at the wedding."

[…]

Breda: "You found Mrs. West?"

Brown: "Yes. I was on my way to the bathroom when I saw her there. She was sitting on the ground and bleeding. I ran up to her, but she didn't react. I called her, I shook her, but no response. So I immediately ran back to the hall and called for help. [...]"

Breda: "Did you see anyone in the corridor?"

Brown: "No. There was a comedy skit on stage when I left. Everyone was watching it. But the door leading outside was open. I know that for sure. I didn't see anyone, though."

[…]

Breda: "Did you notice anything out of the ordinary yesterday at the party?"

Brown: (waits a moment) "Actually, I did. It might be nothing, but it was extraordinary for sure ..."

Breda: (honestly surprised) "There is something?"

Brown: "Yes. Earlier in the evening I went to the bathroom with Captain Hawkeye. There was a woman in one of the booths; she was groaning heavily."

Breda: (breathing heavily) .. Is that so? _(No need to comment MY reactions you moron! - Breda)_

Brown: "She tipped over one of the trash bins. She didn't react to our calls so we let her be. We thought she was just drunk. But … after Captain Hawkeye left … she became louder."

Breda: (seemingly aroused) "Yes, go on." _(Requesting your pay cut! - Breda)_

Brown: "I was actually kinda scared. She groaned as if she was in pain, but before I could call out for her again, she started speaking. At first I thought she wanted to talk to me, but she was talking to herself. It was more like murmuring."

Breda: "What did she say?"

Brown: "I didn't understand everything but I heard things like 'not now' and 'calm down'. She was whispering a lot."

Breda: "Do you have any idea who that person was?"

Brown: (looks down) "No. I- I did call her, but right after she heard me she suddenly became silent again. She didn't react to anything anymore and the door was locked. I didn't want to peek over the wall so I left. I thought she was drunk (pauses) and a little crazy."

Breda: "Did you tell anyone about this?"

Brown: "I've told Lieutenant Falman about it, but he said that it was just a drunk. That was what I thought after all, too. I don't know if it's anything, just with the attack … I thought I should mention it."

[…]

Breda: "Where did you spend the night?"

Brown: At Mrs. Elric's house. I didn't sleep, though. No one really did.

[...]

_(Breda, Brosch - this is the wrong place for jokes. Requesting a onetime pay cut for both of you. - Hawkeye)_

_(Granted! – Mustang)_

+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+

Three military police officers were patrolling around the community center of Resembool.

"Man, these East City officers really are something, aren't they? We look like true village idiots in comparison. " The first officer said.

"They're Mustang's men, so of course! They're infamous! They all fought on King Bradley Day in central." The second officer exclaimed enthusiastically.

"You mean the day the last Führer died – it wasn't King Bradley Day then yet." The third officer corrected the second one.

"Still, it surprised me. You should have seen them during the party-"

The first officer interrupted the second, clearly annoyed: "Yeah, sorry we had to race all the way from the Heidekamp station to here!"

"Bringing the doctor with us to boot!" The third of the men added.

"... It's not my fault you were stationed there. Anyway, during the party they weren't acting professional at all. Maybe Captain Hawkeye can be excluded and to an extent Brigadier General Mustang too. Even though he was the total opposite at the bachelor party. But once the emergency surfaced they all sobered up immediately and were all business. I don't think any of them got any sleep. They're still interrogating every single guest and employee, aren't they?" The second officer said, looking up to the second floor of the building where the interrogations were taking place.

"The only one that didn't sober up was that blonde dude." The first officer snickered. "I can't believe how he just exploded into the room, not knowing a thing."

+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+

_Resembool, 6 June 1919_

_Interrogation #23 (Excerpt):  
First Lieutenant Jean Havoc, East City_

_Querist(s): First Lieutenant Breda, First Lieutenant Falman  
Protocol: Warrant Officer Brosch  
Excerpt: Captain Hawkeye_

[...]

Breda: "You know the procedure. Begin whenever you want."

Havoc: (stays silent for a moment) "I've seen Mary perform before in East City, but I never talked to her. Before yesterday I mean. She just came over and asked if I had a lighter. So we smoked together. Then had drinks and talked. I drank too much, but it was fun and she drank just as much. (pauses) I- I don't remember everything. I just remember that she excused herself later and didn't come back."

Breda: "Do you remember anything else after that?"

Havoc: "Not too clearly. The others told me I was looking for her and then brought me to bed."

[…]

Breda: "What did you and Mary talk about? Did she mention any difficulties or trouble?"

Havoc: "I don't remember anything that would be important to the incident. She didn't mention any enemies or problems. […] She was actually asking me a lot of questions and didn't talk a lot about herself."

Breda: "For example?"

Havoc: "General stuff. About my job, East City, her music, about the couple, whiskey … a lot of different things. She also asked me about my injuries again. Oh and some rumors about our Brigadier General. She asked how much of them are true."

[...]

Breda: "Did you tell her any details about our work? Like our current case?"

Havoc: "Of course not! We did talk about it, but she- (pauses) Now that you say it, Mary voiced her concern about it and then she asked something rather strange. (pauses because Breda gasps loudly) Ah well it wasn't that strange. (embarrassed) Only if we found any relations to older cases. That's all she asked about it."

[...]

Havoc: "I woke up late at night- or rather early in the morning in John Lambart's house. I was sleeping in the living room. I was surprised to find no one in the house so I came here. I kinda thought you were still partying or something ..."

[…]

+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+

Jean Havoc sat on the stairs in front of the community center. The cigarette in his hand slowly turned into ash without him noticing. He just looked up into the blue sky and followed the movements of the clouds with his eyes silently. Havoc was still wearing his suit from the night before. His tie was missing.

"Using your cigarettes as incense sticks now?"

Havoc slowly leaned back to look at his just arrived company. Lieutenant Catalina stood in the door, smiling at him.

"Ah shit!" Havoc finally noticed the ash that almost fell on his fingers. He threw the cigarette on the floor and stubbed it out.

"Are you alright?" Rebecca asked friendly, not wanting to sound too pitying.

Jean took out the little silver mini ashtray he always carried in his pocket and let the stub vanish in it. He closed it with a loud click before he answered:

"Been better, but I'm alright."

"Being the tough guy now, aren't we?" Rebecca chuckled as she slowly seated herself next to him.

"Nah. No need for that with you." He winked, but knew he'd get an elbow in his side for that. He did, albeit softly.

"You know how pathetic I am already. All I'm saying." Jean was laughing, but Rebecca noticed the bitterness under it.

"The only pathetic thing about you is that you say things like that." She leaned back on the stairs and gazed into the sky's blueness. "God, I'm so tired."

Jean took out one of his cigarettes. He looked at it for a second and put it away again. "You should lie down a bit."

"Nah," Rebecca shook her head. "The Brigadier General wants to see us all in a while. If I lie down now, I won't be up for two days."

Jean chuckled – he knew her sleeping habits all too well. If Becca was sleeping, she was sleeping. Even if the world would end, she wouldn't wake.

"He's so gonna let me stay here and take care of the cleaning up." The brunette whined childishly.

"Heh, I think that, too." Jean agreed and leaned on the stairs with his arms, gazing at the clouds again.

Rebecca scoffed but leaned back just like him and watched the sky: "Thank you SO much for your support."

"It's not that bad. It would mean he trusts you with the task." The blond lifted up his right leg a few centimeters, testing how long he was able to hold the position.

"No, he just has it in for me, is all." The female Lieutenant spat sourly.

Jean smiled and put his leg down, only to lift up the other. "You always say that."

"Because it's true! He can't stand how much closer I am with Riza! Aside from me setting her up with a guy here and there of course ..." Rebecca laughed evilly.

She fell silent after she noticed that Jean put his left leg down. A lot faster than the right one.

"Jean … How's the rehab going?"

"Fine." He retrieved his cigarette pack again and took one out. The cigarette was lit this time. Or would have been lit if it wasn't for Rebecca snatching it from him.

"Hey!"

The brunette held it away from him and fixed him with her eyes seriously: "How many?"

Jean visibly cringed. "Not much at all!"

"HOW. MANY." Rebecca was sporting that demonic aura of hers again.

"... I already had my permitted amount." The smoker confessed meekly.

Rebecca slapped him on the back of his head and broke the cigarette in two.

"You already smoked too much yesterday!" She shouted angrily. "Don't you care about your health at all? You're still healing up!"

"It was a special occasion!" Jean whined.

"Special occasion my ass!" She slapped him once more. "You want to get rid of those crutches, right?"

Rebecca pointed to the objects in question lying innocently on the stairs next to him.

"Of course I do-" Jean started weakly. He already inched away slowly and had assumed a defensive position.

"Daily practice?" Rebecca barked simply.

"Not yet. It's still early and with all the stuff going on-"

"Then begin now! You have enough time until the meeting!"

"Yes, Lieutenant!" Jean jumped up and started to walk away with his crutches, beginning his daily walk and thus his first prescribed practice.

"That's a good boy. " Rebecca hummed as she saw him becoming smaller and smaller on the horizon.

+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+

_Resembool, 6 June 1919_

_Interrogation #66 (Excerpt):  
Riza Hawkeye, East City_

_Querist(s): First Lieutenant Breda, First Lieutenant Falman  
Protocol: Warrant Officer Brosch  
Excerpt: First Lieutenant Ross_

_[…]_

Breda: "Where were you, Captain, when Mrs. West got attacked?"

Hawkeye: "I wasn't present when the incident took place. I was upstairs. However, I saw the victim half an hour before she was attacked. She showed me her playing card – the Joker – while we passed on the staircase. That's why I know the exact time. It was part of a game."

Breda: "We already documented all details regarding the game, Captain."

Hawkeye: "Good."

Breda: "So West was coming down from upstairs?"

Hawkeye: "Yes. She didn't say anything. Mrs. West silently showed me her card while we passed."

Breda: "Did you talk to her prior to it?"

Hawkeye: "No, not personally. The Brigadier General was talking with her once, but she left once I joined them. I have also never talked to her before the wedding. I saw her performing in the 'Red Barrel' before, but I never personally interacted with Mrs. West."

[…]

Breda: "Second Lieutenant Brown mentioned something interesting before …"

Hawkeye: (thinks) "Regarding?"

Breda: "You went to the bathroom with her, Captain?"

Hawkeye: "Oh that. Yes. There was a seemingly drunk woman in one of the booths."

Breda: (fascinated by Lady's room stories) "Please, retell everything in detail." (I'll report your unprofessional behavior, Brosch. - Ross)

Hawkeye: "We were talking at the basins. During our conversation a woman tipped over the bin in her booth. I called out to her and if she needed help, but she only answered with a short 'no'. She was quiet before and after that. The woman was only moving a little. I assumed she was simply drunk."

Breda: "Are you sure it was a woman?"

Hawkeye: "Definitely. I could hear her high heels on the floor. Her voice was female as well."

Breda: (aroused yet again) "What did you talk about with Ms. Brown?" (Seriously, you knew I was going to check the scripts! - Ross)

Hawkeye: "Nothing of importance to the incident."

Breda: (hesitates but just has to know) "Please, tell me the topic."

Hawkeye: (sighs) "She apologized for mentioning Joshua and swooned over Lieutenant Falman."

Falman: (happy)

[…]

Breda: "You were helping with the search for the culprit, Captain?"

Hawkeye: "Yes. I took my dog with me so he could follow the trail. We weren't able to find any suspicious persons despite the area being wide and easy to overlook. We found a pipe with blood on it; the supposed weapon West and Alphonse were attacked with. The trail ended in the middle of the meadow."

[...]

Breda: "... Can I ask you one more thing?"

Hawkeye: "Yes?"

Breda: (looks at what he shouldn't look at) "Where the hell did you hide the gun you suddenly pulled out last night?"

(Interview discontinued due to various reasons - Brosch)

+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+

Mustang threw a pair of used socks into his rather empty trunk. That was all. He closed it with a loud click.

He turned around when he heard a soft knock on the door.

"Come in."

Captain Hawkeye slowly entered, carrying a staple of paper. Just like in their office.

"Right on time, Captain." Mustang bit down a smile.

"Sir," Hawkeye greeted him formally with a salute. "I went through the first batch of interrogations. Lieutenant Ross took over for me later."

Mustang briefly looked at her before he went through the papers she handed over to him. She had changed clothes just like him. But comparing to his plain pants and shirt his Captain somehow looked special in her everyday attire. Might be the skirt.

"Most are useless, as expected." Mustang flipped though the excerpts provided by his Captain. He noticed that many numbers were missing. Hawkeye must have sorted out many of the interrogations already.

"Yes, sadly. We were also not able to find many clues besides the pipe. The gardener says it must be one of the spares he had stored in the utility room."

"So everyone had access to it." Mustang sighed. "It would have been easier if it were something more special."

"Yes, indeed. The jewelry of Mrs. West wasn't found either, despite everyone and every room having been searched through."

Mustang inspected the 102 interrogation closely: "So we'll stick to Richard Kean then?"

"Yes, he's still missing." Hawkeye nodded and pointed at a passage of the sheet in front of her superior. "And he seems to have some problems."

+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+

_Resembool, 6 June 1919_

_Interrogation #102 (Excerpt):  
Gary Linwood, East City_

_Querist(s): First Lieutenant Breda, First Lieutenant Falman  
Protocol: Warrant Officer Brosch  
Excerpt: First Lieutenant Ross_

Breda: "You are?"

Linwood: "Gary Linwood, Sir. I'm the pianist of the 'Heavy Beats' - the band that played at the wedding. We frequently play in the 'Red Barrel'."

[…]

Breda: "Do you know of any trouble or problems concerning Mrs. West? Did she have debts?"

Linwood: "No, not really. She never had trouble with finances. Her first husband, Mr. West, he was a wealthy man. He was an heir of a big industrial company or something; he left her a fortune when he died."

Breda: "Did Mrs. West have any enemies?"

Linwood: "Not real enemies, I suppose. Some folks don't exactly like her. (smiles) Well, you met her. She isn't the kind of person who avoids being _not_liked by others. Mary has many enviers, a few wives that are pissed that she enchanted their husbands, things like that. But I don't know of any true enemies. Let alone people that were present at the wedding."

[…]

Breda: "Tell me about Richard Kean."

Linwood: (stays silent for a while) "Ricky isn't a bad guy. He's- a little awkward, but he's a good fellow."

Breda: "There is no need to defend him; we aren't accusing him of anything."

Linwood: (distraught) "Oh come on! He's the only one missing! Of course you think it was him!"

Breda: "Do you have an idea why he's gone suddenly?"

Linwood: (hesitant) "No. I have no idea ..."

Breda: "When did you see him last?"

Linwood: "Last night. Sometime before the incident. I'm not sure when exactly. (pauses then seems to realize something) Now … he asked me about the time we start the comedy skit. He asked me until I gave him an exact time. Then he left in a hurry. That was the last time I saw him."

[...]

Breda: "How was Mr. Kean's relationship to Mary West?"

Linwood: (hesitates) "Shaky. Mary always screams at him, but he always returns to her side. He seems to be scared of her. But then again. Ricky is pretty easy to scare. Mary rarely treats him like he deserved. He's kind of her chew toy."

[…]

Breda: "Did Mr. Kean have problems?"

Linwood: (pauses long before he answers) "Yes. He was tight on money. He didn't want to tell anyone, but he had a few debts."

[...]

+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+

"It was supposed to be perfect." Edward stroke Winry's hair gently and buried his head in her hair.

Winry snuggled herself closer to Ed, groaning slightly. "It's fine, Ed. It sure is a day to remember."

She poked him into his cheek, looking up to him smiling.

"Glad, you're able to laugh about it." Her husband scowled.

"It _was_ a great party. I just feel bad for poor Mary." Winry squeezed his hand absentmindedly. "And Alphonse. He still seems a little out of line."

"Yeah." Edward grunted and averted his gaze to the ceiling.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Spit it out already."

"Dunno. Just a feeling." Ed shook his head and rubbed his right eye as if bored.

"Feeling?"

"Yeah. The whole incident … it feels kinda fishy." Winry's husband sat up as he went through the night one more time. "It's a little too complicated for a simple robbery. Why would someone rob someone at a wedding? A wedding with the elite of East City's military to boot? A wedding that has security? And how was the culprit able to escape unnoticed by everyone but Alphonse?"

Winry rolled a little to the left so she could place her head on her husband's leg: "You don't think it was Ricky, huh? Many say he must have snapped or something."

"Do you believe that?"

"Not really. I think Mary would have won easily in a fight." Winry said with a slight grin while she played with the mechanical part of Ed's leg. "Don't worry, Ed. He can't have gone too far. You know the best that it's not easy to get away from here fast unless you take a train. I'm sure they'll get him."

"How come you're the calm one now? And trying to hush me to boot?" Ed let his head hover over hers, staring into his wife's wonderful blue eyes.

"I just don't want to worry during the little time we have alone. We weren't even able to celebrate our first night as husband and wife properly ..." Winry tucked at his collar pulling him down gently. "Let's enjoy the few minutes we have to rest."

+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+

_Resembool, 6 June 1919_

_Interrogation #177 (Excerpt):  
Alphonse Elric, Resembool_

_Querist(s): First Lieutenant Breda, First Lieutenant Falman  
Protocol: Warrant Officer Brosch  
Excerpt: First Lieutenant Ross_

Breda: "Thank you for taking the time, Alphonse."

Elric: "No, I'm sorry I wasn't able to be interviewed sooner."

Breda: "Don't worry about that, you needed rest. Mary was the one to show you the joker?"

Elric: "Yes."

Breda: "Please tell me what happened last night."

Elric: "Okay. I was just coming out of the bathroom when I saw them. I saw a man hunching over someone else, he was wearing a black suit. I immediately walked over and asked if everything was okay. Than the man suddenly turned around and hit me with something hard. I stumbled back and it took me a moment to realize the situation. But then I immediately ran after the man. I wasn't able to catch up with him. And after a while I lost track of him, so I returned to check on Mary."

[…]

Breda: "Did you recognize the man?"

Elric: "No. I saw too little of him."

Breda: "How was the physical build of the man? Did you saw his face? Or anything recognizable?"

Elric: "No. I can't really say. He was too fast."

Breda: "Is it possible Richard Kean was the one who attacked you?"

Elric: (thinks) "It's possible, but I'm not sure."

[…]

Breda: We've been told you were alone with Mr. Kean just before the incident?"

Elric: "Ah, yes. Only shortly, though. He asked me about a private matter and we went separate ways right after that."

Breda: "Private matter?"

Elric: "It was something concerning his love life ..."

Breda: "Don't tell me he had a thing for Mary West?"

Elric: "Uh no. It was more of a general problem … (lifts his arm parallel to the ground only to make it fall and letting it dangle lifelessly)"

Breda: "… Oh. I see. Why did he come to you with that?"

Elric: "I wish I knew that, Lieutenant ..."

[…]

Breda: "So there was no one – not even guards - at the back of the building?"

Elric: "No. I didn't see anyone."

Breda: "I see. Aside from the front gate the guards were moving constantly. That's what the security boss told us at least. Seems we were unlucky."

[…]

+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+

"This is as far as our investigation is at the moment." Mustang paused to look around the room. All the military officers had gathered punctually. "Havoc, Brosch and Ross – I want you to stay here and help the military police until everything's sorted out. Return to East City after that immediately."

Everyone besides Hawkeye looked up surprised.

"I would like to lend more to aid the military police here, but there was an incident in East City, too." Mustang seemed calm and collected. "Emerson Chadwick was murdered yesterday. We have to resume our investigations right away. Therefore Captain Hawkeye and I will take the very first train today. The rest – besides the earlier mentioned officers – will follow right away after the interrogations are done."

"Yes, Sir." His subordinates barked in unison.

"Brigadier General …" Falman quietly stepped in. "Second Lieutenant Brown and I are able to stay today as well."

Mustang smiled as he stepped towards the two soldiers from the north. "I'm glad to hear that you want to help. But you aren't under my authority, so how could I ask of you to stay here and neglect your work in the north?"

The Brigadier General handed Falman a sealed envelope, still smiling: "But please give me a call when you arrive home. So I'll know you had a safe trip."

Lieutenant Falman smiled in return and let the envelope vanish in the inside of his sack coat.

"Of course, Sir."

+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+

Alphonse opened the door slowly and peeked in before he entered.

Pinako, Winry, Edward and the doctor the military police had brought with them turned around when they noticed him.

"How is she?" He asked and shut the door behind him softly.

"Not too bad." The doctor answered while he put away his stethoscope. "Judging from the wound it wasn't a bad hit at all. Just a laceration. The only thing worrying me is that she's been out for so long. But that might be due to the alcohol she consumed and due to general fatigue. She should wake any moment."

"I see …" Alphonse simply said. He felt weird as he saw the slumbering Mary on the sofa. He hadn't seen her like this before.

Winry had come to his side and locked arms with him: "It's not your fault, Al. Don't feel bad about it."

Alphonse looked blankly at Mary: "It's my fault."

"Don't say that, boy." Pinako murmured as she passed him to exit the room. "I'll prepare some breakfast; you all be sure to come and get some!"

"Did the Xingese girl take care of your wound, too?" The doctor had strolled over to Alphonse trying to inspect the wound on his forehead. It was barely visible.

"Yes, she did. She stopped the bleeding. But it wasn't too bad to begin with." Alphonse watched Edward out of the corner of his eye. His older brother stood in the corner of the room silently, lost in thought.

"Hmm, my boy let me take a look at you. Just to be sure, you know? It doesn't seem Mrs. West was hit any harder than you, so let's be on the safe side."

Alphonse was just in the middle of answering as they heard the familiar raspy voice of Mary West.

"... Where are my rings?" She croaked weakly. Mary looked at her hand that she held right over her head.

The doctor immediately ran over to her: "Mrs. West! Can you hear me?"

"Of course, I can you doofus. Who the fuck are you?" Mary slowly lifted her head up to look at the stranger.

"I'm- You shouldn't stand up yet!" The doctor desperately tried to hold the woman down, but she kicked him swiftly, making him back away.

"Where am I? What happened?" The chanteuse snapped as she slowly inspected the room.

Edward stepped forward right away: "You're still in the community center, Mary. In one of the upstairs rooms. Someone attacked you, can you recall that?"

Mary fixed him with her eyes. She stayed silent for a moment, watching Edward intensely.

Finally, she said: "I have no idea who you're supposed to be, my boy."

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Author's Babble:  
Happy Holidays everyone!

I'm not sure if I'll update the time around Christmas and new years, but ch. 13 should come out before then definitely. Just a head ups.

Most important thing last: Thank you for reading! Also big thanks to everyone who reviewed! It's very appreciated :) Christmas cookies also for those who alerted and favorited. I want to make a heart but the side eats them during the upload D:

And of course special thanks to **IzumiTheMoogle** my dear beta reader :3

Cheerio,  
the striped one


	13. Unknown, Unseen

Ninja update! :D

The (same) recap is still up:  
the-striped-one(DOT)livejournal(DOT)com

I only update it every few chapters or so.

In case you forgot: Smith and Maverick are the two lone dudes filling in for the rest of Mustang's men while they were off partying~

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**Chapter 13:  
Unknown, Unseen**

Sergeant Quentin Smith was tired. Oh so very tired. The murder of Emerson Chadwick had caused him to pull an all-nighter. He had no idea how Lieutenant Maverick was able to work a whole day and night without showing any sign of fatigue.

But now was morning and his superior finally let him go. Smith felt bad about leaving Maverick alone. The stern man didn't seem like he was planning on going home himself anytime soon. However, the Sergeant just had to get some rest before the Brigadier General returned. Smith would collapse otherwise; with Mustang and Hawkeye back their work would multiply tenfold within the blink of an eye.

Maverick was better at fending off the press than Smith was anyway. The vultures were still lurking outside of the building, waiting for a snap shot of the Brigadier General or anyone who could be related to their headline in any way.

Smith yawned as he entered the entrance hall of the military police office. He could already see the exit.

'Oh no, more trouble.' He thought. A man was screaming at the receptionist:

"I don't care if you're understaffed! Let me see an officer this instant! My son is missing since yesterday evening-"

A woman in the corner sobbed loudly.

"For god's sake he's not even six years old yet!"

Smith could see tears in the corner of the man's eyes. The officer thought about just sneaking past them, no one should care about him anyway.

"It's all my fault. It's my fault!" The woman in the corner sniveled. Her eyes were red and puffy. She tried to stop the tears with her hands, but they were shaking too much. "Oh my Bennet!"

'Like I could turn my back on that …' Smith sighed, but knew he had no choice. He had a nephew around that age.

"Sir? Madam? Can I help you?" He stepped forward, knowing fully well he sacrificed his sleep in the process.

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"I have no idea who you're supposed to be, my boy."

Mary squinted her eyes, not showing a single sign of recollection.

"Mary, it's me – Edward." The older Elric slowly stepped towards the singer, trying not to show the uneasiness that started to bubble up in him. "Edward Elric?"

"That alchemist?" She flung her legs out of the bed to sit properly, wobbling a bit once she tried to maintain that position. Mary growled at her lack of coordination and forced herself to sit up straight.

"Yes. You remember!" Winry let out a sigh of relief.

"I don't." Mary stated simply. She slowly inspected the room and the persons staring at her.

"I heard of you. Could you _be so kind_ to explain to me how you assume that I know you?" The woman snarled, obviously impatient. She found the wound on her forehead with her hand. "Ouch! What the hell happened?"

"Mrs. West, please stay calm-" The doctor began, but wasn't granted the time to explain.

"Calm?" Mary tried to stand up, but lost her balance and flopped back onto the sofa. "Fuck! Did a freakin' parade ran over my head?"

She rubbed her temples to ease the headache and nausea. Getting stared at by strangers didn't help her comfort.

"You were hit on the head." Al stated calmly. The chanteuse looked up – her gaze lingered on the younger Elric even after he stopped talking.

The doctor harrumphed and tried to begin a talk with his patient again: "Do you know who you are?"

"You said my name already, so _you_ must know you moron." Mary's tone was bitter, but she continued to look at Alphonse with wide eyes.

"Please, tell me your name."

"_Maria. Jane. West." _Mary pronounced every single syllable loudly._ "_Known as the very talented Mary West in the fun parts of East City however. That enough Dr. Quack?" She turned to the doctor slowly and pierced through him with her eyes.

"I understand you're irritated and in pain, but there's no need to lash out like that. I'm just here to help you."

The singer simply scoffed.

"Tell me what the deal is already. Was I kidnapped?" She asked them almost bored as if she was asking whether the sun was shining or not. "Did you take my rings?"

Ed started to explain: "Mary, we hired you to sing at our wedding. Mine and Winry's." He grabbed his wife's hand, trying to ring a bell with the picture of them together. "We met in the 'Red Barrel'-"

"Are you kidding? I don't appear on weddings. I'm not some third class clown."

The image of Yoki's performance at the party yesterday flashed up in all of their minds. The doctor aside, he had been at home and reading instead of drinking.

"But you did ..." Alphonse began. "We don't know what happened exactly but someone attacked you."

Al locked eyes with Mary and came closer. "What is the last thing you remember?"

The singer's bottom lip trembled slightly. The singer looked down, trying to make sense out of the blurry images shooting up in her head.

"I- I'm not sure." Mary's uncertainty showed itself for the first time, albeit having no desire to show any weakness.

"Mrs. West, we only want to help you, so please answer my questions." The doctor pulled out a small torch from his suitcase and attempted to flash her eyes with it. Mary let him begrudgingly.

"You know who you are; that's good. Do you know where you are?"

"East City. Unless you took me hostage and brought me someplace else." She said sarcastically and grinned.

The doctor shook his head at Ed who had opened his mouth to cut in.

"Which year is it?"

"I'm not suffering under dementia, thank you. It's 1919."

"Please follow the light with your eyes. The date?"

No sarcasm this time: Mary hesitated visibly.

"The month is enough." The older man smiled gently at her.

"It's ..." Mary mouthed a few syllables, but didn't settle for one. She shook her head and said firmly: "May- no, it's March. March! Of course it is." She laughed.

The whole room stayed silent.

"Oh come on! I'm not mental, I remember- I know it because the anniversary of the death of my dear first husband was only yeste-" She stopped as she spotted the window in the room. The sun was shining. On a view that definitely wasn't East City.

All color vanished from Mary's face.

The doctor switched his flashlight off with a loud click and stroked his already gray beard.

"It's the 6th of June. You're currently in Resembool, a small village quite the distance from East City. It's still 1919, though."

"That can't be." Mary whispered. Her confident posture suddenly made her look like a parody of herself.

"Mrs. West, please stay calm. Your confusion must be caused by your head injury. But good news – I'm sure everything will come back after a while. The hit must have been harder than I thought. But an irreversible trauma is very unlikely."

"Who did this?" Her voice was sharp again.

Edward was the one who answered: "We don't know. But we're doing everything we can. So please tell us anything – even the smallest detail – that you might remember."

Mary didn't answer. She responded with another question: "Where is my jewelry?"

"When we found you," Winry started gently. "You weren't wearing any."

"So I was robbed?"

"That's the current suspicion." Edward confirmed.

"Oh god, I hope I get the moron who dared to rob me!" Mary spat with her usual fire. "I'll kick him until my rings fall out of his sorry arse all by themselves!"

"You remember your jewelry?" Winry inquired while she handed Mary a glass of water. She took it without a word of thanks.

"Course I do. At least partly, I guess. I always wear the same set of rings – I got them from the important men in my life after all. Any of you remember the necklace I wore? And the wristband? I always wear different ones. Don't tell me I wore multiple?"

The three Elrics looked at each other, all displaying confusion on their faces.

It was the female of them who started the description: "You were wearing a pearl wristband … and your golden locket."

"The bracelet with the dark beads?"

Winry nodded.

Mary thought for a moment. "The oval locket with silver flowers engraved?"

"No-"

"Oh! So the one with the amber stone!"

"Actually," Winry demonstrated the size of the object in question with her hands. "This big. Round. With an eagle engraved on the front?"

"Eagle?" Mary raised an eyebrow. "I don't have anything with an eagle on it. No, thanks dear."

"But- The locket, you wore it every time we saw you! The eagle had a snake in it's beak."

"I'm also not a big fan of snakes my dear. And I can vouch for not having anything eagle themed in my possession. I would never run around with that filthy symbol."

The four people in the room who were only strangers to Mary gave her a look of confusion.

"Mary, I'm sure you just forgot-"

"Don't you dare!" Mary suddenly shouted seriously disgruntled. "I might be confused, but not that confused! Look, I come from the West originally – Pendleton to be exact. My family was slaughtered due to the border war with Creta. The eagle is the state symbol of _that_ country. How could I wear something the Cretans I hate so much wear with pride?"

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The room was barely lit. It was more calming that way.

Alphonse sat cross-legged in the middle of the room, his eyes closed.

A few books were scattered around him. It was the room Ed and him stored their books in. The books that used to belong to the Rockbell doctors were stored here as well.

Edward titled his head when he finally found his brother.

"What are you doing, Al?"

The arrival of his brother made Alphonse jump in surprise. "Edward!"

"Man, so deep in thought?" Ed grinned, finding his younger brother's reaction very amusing.

"Nah, just- … well thinking." The younger Elric smiled embarrassed and stood up hastily.

"We've probably been thinking the same thing, huh?" Ed knelt down to inspect the medicine book that was lying on the floor.

"Maybe." Al turned his back to Edward. "I've decided. I'm going to accompany the others to East City."

Ed sat down on the simple wooden chair next to the desk in front of the window.

"I see." He said unsurprised.

"That's a rather simple reaction, Ed."

"Well," the older Elric shrugged his shoulders. "I kinda expected you to go. Something isn't right. And the answer might be in East City. Mary is from there, the well known guests are from there. You might even be able to find Ricky there. It's the next logical step to look for leads there, right?"

Alphonse smiled: "I want to find out who ruined your wedding and who hurt Mary. I won't let them go this easily."

"Good then." Ed nodded. He was kind of touched his brother was also thinking about their wedding. "I'll hold the fort in the mean time."

"You don't even consider coming with me? Wow, Ed! Just like a responsible husband. You know like a real one!"

"I AM a real husband, you idiot!" Edward snapped, bolting up to give his indignation a physical form.

"You might even have realized you're not really needed … no alchemy and all."

"SHUT UP!"

Al ignored his brother's screaming and continued smiling gently: "Take good care of Winry while I'm gone."

"... of course, I always do." Edward responded in a moping voice.

"And please also take care of Mei."

Ed was surprised by that comment. "You're not going to take her with you?"

"No, I think it's better if she stays here ..." Al gave him a sincere look. "Just trust me on that one. I have my reasons."

Edward sighed and shook his head.

"... I don't really get it, but ... can I watch when you tell her?" The now married Elric laughed.

+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+

Mustang groaned dramatically and set the staple of paper he had been reading through – in his humble opinion way too long – aside.

"Done already?" His Captain asked as she reentered the compartment they occupied in the train. One of her eyebrows was raised, but to the delight of the Brigadier General she had two coffee mugs in her hands.

"Most of it. Thank you." Mustang took the mug Hawkeye held out and took a sip immediately. It was still a little too hot. But it was sugared, just like he always drank it. His Captain waited a bit until she sipped on her black and sugar free one.

"I need to persevere today – there's a mountain of work waiting at the office at it is."

"I didn't say anything did I, Sir?" Hawkeye responded dryly, eyes on her mug only. And not accusing her superior in any way. _At all_.

Mustang watched the landscape pass outside of the window. Still, a long way to go.

"How's Hayate?"

"Fine."

"Not getting lonely?"

"No."

"... I see."

Hawkeye placed her mug on the small table under the window and pulled out a clipboard with blank papers. She began to write swiftly, every row straight like she was at her office desk and not in a shaking train.

"Plan for today?" Mustang asked, glancing over to her with half an eye.

"No, I finished that back in Resembool."

Her superior watched as she signed the sheet and handed it over to him with her usual business face.

"The request for cutting Brosch's and Breda's salary this month."

"Ah! Wonderful." Mustang put his signature under hers with pleasure, without even checking the content. "Strict as always."

She took the clipboard back from him and stamped it (she had an official stamp on her naturally).

"I just hope they learn their lesson through direct consequences. That is all."

"Good good." Mustang tried to hide his amusement and acted like the passing landscape was the most interesting thing he's ever seen. But Hawkeye noticed it nevertheless.

"Sir, you should be more worried about such inappropriate behavior ..." His Captain let out a sigh. She fixed the staple of paper next to Mustang with her eyes: "... you only read through the one's with comments didn't you?"

"I figured the interrogations that were commented on were of utmost importance!"

"... well, some were." Hawkeye put the signed document into a folder and put it onto the seat next to her.

Onto a book. _Her _book that lay there innocently.

One of the passages came back to Mustang immediately.

But not only.

_'We met secretly-'_

He didn't look out of the window anymore.

_'under the willow tree.'_

Mustang bit his lip and noticed that his gaze lingered a little too long on the Captain's legs.

What was it with her and skirts?

It's the usual uniform, no doubt. It just didn't do the female body justice.

Mustang's hand twitched as he remembered that that very palm had caressed the skin on that very leg in front of him just yesterday.

And had held her hand in that very palm as well.

_'These stolen moments I treasure the most.'_

He watched as her lips moved, but he didn't catch what they said. Mustang just nodded. It seemed to suffice.

He could thank her.

For pointing out the lipstick on his lips before he had run down the stairs to the attacked Mary the night before.

Maybe she would thank him back for fixing her hair before she raced down herself. He had been quite fast, too. Years of practice with his sisters.

Maybe ...

But he didn't bring last night up. Nothing prior to the unfortunate incident would be brought up.

They wouldn't talk about it. They never did.

"When are we arriving at East City again?" Mustang asked instead, pulling his eyes and thoughts away from his Captain.

_'But I lock them away. These moments are our secret. _

_And the weeping willow's, my trusted friend.'_

+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+

The military officers watched thoroughly amazed as Alphonse and Mei argued fiercely and more than simply loud in the hall.

"I said NO!" Mei squeaked angrily. The small woman stomped on the ground with her foot to reinforce her point.

"Mei, please understand-"

"NO! You've already been hurt!" She was drumming on his chest with her fists now. Xiao-Mei seemed to agree with its master and drummed on Alphonse-sama's foot. "Don't you dare act like I'd be a nuisance! I can fight! I can heal! I can take care of myself just fine! You should be aware of my abilities more than anyone, Alphonse!"

"It's not about that-"

"Al, we've been through – by far – more dangerous situations. Why do you have to act like this NOW of all times?"

"5 bucks he's totally gonna crumble and will **beg** her to come with him to East City!" Havoc snickered.

"I'll hold and say he'll just stay." Brosch shook hands with the blonde Lieutenant.

"Ha, I raise you ten-" Breda bid. "And say he's gonna stand firm on his decision and succeed!"

None of them were right. Sweet, well-behaved Alphonse did something no one would have expected. Especially Mei.

"Hush!" He aspirated softly and placed a finger on her lips. He fixed her with his golden eyes, so intense Mei thought he was staring down her very soul. Alphonse grabbed her left hand with his and pulled her closer. Only inches apart now, he spoke: "Mei, please don't misunderstand. You're everything to this foolish boy! But I know you're very capable and you don't need my protection … as much it saddens me sometimes ..."

Al turned away slightly, a single tear glistening in the corner of his eye.

"Al-alphonse …!" Mei croaked quietly.

"I'm worried my brother won't be able to handle things here alone. It would put me so at ease if a skilled Alchemist like you were here to assist my rather helpless brother ..."

"Hey!" Edward barked from the entrance.

"Oh, Alphonse!" Mei was a deep shade of red all over already, unable to think clearly when her dear prince was so very close.

"And also: It is I who is weak, Mei! I won't be able to focus properly if you are there …"

"... what?" Edward watched his brother in disbelief.

"Bu-bu-bu- La!" Mei stuttered, not processing the overdose of information and affection sufficiently.

"Mei … " Alphonse whispered before he swept her off her feet and kissed her so passionately that even the most experienced adults watching got red ears. "Please, wait for me. Wherefore you'll be on my mind the whole time!"

He let her go and left her frozen on the spot as she was. Al turned around slowly and left, grinning broadly.

Ed slowly followed him with his eyes, unsure if he had seen right. "Just- Just- … who are you?" He stuttered after his younger brother, pointing at him with a shaking finger.

"BRAVO! Bravo, Alphonse Elric!" Armstrong clapped his hands and cried, crying manly tears of … emotionality. "That was such an intense and honest display of affection! I'm so deeply moved!"

The ruckus woke Mei from her momentary coma and without a moment of hesitance she ran after Alphonse and jumped on his back:

"NO WAY I CAN STAY BEHIND AFTER A KISS LIKE THAT!"

"Looks like his plan failed … whatever it was." Breda titled his head as he spoke; still not sure if he had seen right.

+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+

Sergeant Quentin Smith was tired. Oh so very tired. The disappearance of the little boy had cost him a lot of time and nerves. Not even counting the paperwork!

But he helped a family in a terrible situation so it was fine. At least he hoped he did.

He finally exited the military police building. Freedom!

Smith had given Maverick a notice concerning little Bennet. He _was_ a missing person after all. Way too young to fit the pattern of the weirdo they were searching for, but better be on the safe side. They were ordered to report **any** missing cases after all, no exceptions.

But as if there was connection to their case or Emma Johnson! Smith chuckled and shook his head. They'll find the little boy soon hopefully.

The Sergeant jumped a little with every step; he'd be able to get a little sleep before the Brigadier General arrived after all.

Smith decided to take a short cut through the less busy alleys and turned right.

That wasn't a good decision. At least regading his sleep.

A woman sat on the ground in the middle of the dark alley – the buildings were to high to let much sunshine through. She was sobbing and had buried her head in her arms and knees.

Smith first thought she was just a homeless girl, but than he noticed the rather fashionable dress she was wearing.

The woman cringed visibly when she heard steps coming near.

"Hey lady, do you need some help?"

She didn't look up, but croaked weakly: "... I do ... I really do."

Smith knelt down onto her level and smiled kindly at her, despite her being unable to see it.

"I'll help you if you want. I'm a military officer, see?" He pointed at his uniform but she still didn't look up.

"Are you from the police?" Her voice was ragged; husky like she had strained her vocal cords too much. She didn't reek of alcohol, but of something else that was very familiar ...

"I was just there, but I'm stationed somewhere else normally. Come on I'll help you up, do you have to go somewhere?" He grabbed her arm, but she resisted and didn't follow his lead. She remained in her position instead, still not looking up.

"I think … I need to go there." She whispered.

"To the military police?"

The young woman finally looked up slowly, revealing deep scratches on her face. Some of the wounds had reopened and let more blood trickle down her face. Her eyes were shockingly red; as if she had been crying for hours. Smith almost fell backwards – this wasn't what he had expected. The woman suddenly grabbed him by his collar and threw herself against him. Her eyes were mad, her face distorted by anguish.

"I- I killed him. I killed him!" She suddenly screamed. "I killed the only person important to me! I- I- I have his blood on my hands! WHY?"

Smith tried to crawl away and reached for his gun, but the woman's grasp was too firm.

He finally could place the smell. It was the faint smell of clotted blood.

Now he could clearly see the blood stains on her clothes and her hands. And suddenly he recognized the woman. He only had seen a single photo of her.

She was their missing person, the person they were searching for hysterically. It was Emma Johnson.

Emma collapsed and let Smith go, crying as loud as her husky voice allowed her to.

"What have I done?"

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_**Author's Notes:**_  
Alphonse must be in the Christmas spirit or something. Isn't this just the right end to get into the Christmas mood as well? ;D

Anyway: _Thank you! _You who is reading and reviewing and alerting and even favoriting! :'D Thank you all!

I actually removed a whole paragraph that revolved around another aspect of the whole mystery thing. But enough happens here as it is so~

And if you noticed any parallels to my story **"King & Queen"** … yeah, no coincidence. You could say it's the origin story for this. Hey, I'm only 'stealing' from myself! :p

That's it for this year kids, sorry! I would have liked to start into the new year with a 14 as the chapter count, since it's my lucky number, but we might as well start the new year with it! Just pretend the 13 isn't a bad omen … xD

I wish you all a merry Christmas (or whatever else you might celebrate; maybe just being awesome) and a happy new year! Have a lot of fun, love and tasty food!

See you in January! (after I wake from my drunken slumber and all *coughs*)

Best wishes,  
the striped one (who is wearing a Santa hat this very moment!)

PS: Reviews are still welcomed :D


	14. Clue or Evidence

Happy new year, everyone!  
I hope all of you had wonderful holidays :) Hope no one got whipped by Santa or had fireworks flying up their derriere~

**New recap!**  
the-striped-one(DOT)livejournal(DOT)com

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**Chapter 14:  
Clue or Evidence**

"Done, finally!" Breda exclaimed happily and threw the last badge of interrogation protocols onto the pile of already respectable size.

"Looks like we'll manage to catch the next train after all." Armstrong flexed his muscles to show his enthusiasm.

Ross went over the copies of the documents one last time. "Still, I feel sorry for Edward and Winry. I don't think they pictured their wedding like this."

"Right?" Brosch stretched his arms. His hands were hurting from the whole typing process. "Their singer gets knocked out and the officers that happen to be there can't stick around for too long because someone got murdered the same night."

"Bad things always happen at the same time. Let's simply hope this was it." Breda groaned.

The door opened despite that no knock was heard. An older man in a doctor's overall who was arm in arm with Mary peeked in:

"Recognize any of those?"

Mary stared all of them down, slowly shifting her gaze to one to the other. The officers stayed silent and just watched her back with wide eyes; giving her the freedom to inspect all of them until she was satisfied. Her eyes didn't stay any longer on Havoc than on any of the others.

"No." Mary merely stated and turned around.

The doctor gave on apologetic shrug and pulled the door shut without another word.

"So, she really has amnesia?"

"It's supposed to be partial amnesia or something." Havoc fidgeted in his jacket to get his cigarette pack out, but dropped the task once he noticed Rebecca's deadly glare. "Edward said that the doc said- well, she's supposed to be fine soon."

"Amnesia … it's so … unreal, you know?" Lieutenant Catalina cut in and gave Havoc a gentle jab on his shoulder. " Like something out of a movie or a book. It just conveniently pops up so the criminal can't be identified until the climatic end – just like that. Kinda surprising it exists after all. I really hope she remembers soon."

"Sure she will. It wasn't that bad of a wound. And we'll be there to write down her description of the culprit once she remembers!" Brosch grinned broadly and posed so enthusiastically Armstrong felt the urge to join in. And did.

"Yes, that's the spirit!" There the jacket and shirt flew. In a very graceful manner of course! "Don't be discouraged because we go ahead! Let your heart and will lead you to our suspect! I know you can do it!"

"Guar!" Brosch fled from the muscle man and tried to find shelter behind Lieutenant Ross to escape Armstrong's manly way of encouraging people. Others might call it half-naked, sweaty muscle man bear hugging people. Philistines only of course.

"IT'S OK, SIR! I'M SO MOTIVATED NOW, THANK YOU! … please let go?"

"Jee, are you that happy to stay a little longer, Denny?" Lieutenant Ross raised on eyebrow at him (and ignored her _superior_ Armstrong who was just letting go of her boyfriend). "Or is it just that you suddenly feel useful?"

"That was mean." Brosch sulked and forced a smile in the direction of Armstrong to reassure him he had gotten all the sparkly encouragement he needed.

"Excuse me then." Armstrong took the copies from Ross and bowed politely despite being the highest in rank. "I'll prepare for our departure now. I'm sure you will handle everything splendidly.

"Yes, Sir." Ross said and saluted like everyone else. Armstrong exited with a wide smile (and fully dressed).

Brosch turned to his girlfriend, wearing a frown: "Seriously, I'm just glad we'll be able to help. Doesn't look like we have a lot to do other than waiting for Mary's two cents."

"We'll thoroughly search everything again and again; not fun enough for you?" Havoc laughed.

"Indeed. We still have no idea where Richard Kean went. He can't go unnoticed in the trains, so he must hide somewhere or must have stolen a vehicle of some sort. We won't come back to East City empty handed. And I expect you two to be on your best behavior at all times." Ross stated sternly and gave Havoc and Brosch an intimidating look.

"Total Hawkeye mode right there." Breda stated without betting an eye; but dared to point a finger at the Lieutenant.

Ross rolled her eyes and retorted unfazed: "I'll take that as a compliment."

+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+

The East City train station was busy as usual. The masses of people filled the huge hall with noise and odor. People pushed each other in all directions and desperately looked either for the exit or their train.

Two military officers had just arrived to join the crowd. But they weren't wearing their uniforms of course; that would give them away.

Mustang pulled his gray fedora hat down over bis face.  
"There they are."

"Yes." Hawkeye nodded and searched the area with her eyes. She spotted some reporters, unfortunately scattered in all directions. The Captain mimicked her superior and pulled the oversized white summer hat she was wearing down over her face.

Black Hayate, who sat next to his mistress, wagged his tail at her new look and anticipation of finally moving on. Hopefully to his home, he was hungry.

"Wasn't a bad idea to buy the hats off that couple after all, huh?" The Brigadier General grinned proudly.

Hawkeye ignored Mustang and took his hand. Hayate paced after them silently after recognizing his master's follow-me nod.

"This way." She said before pulling Mustang gently but hastily into the direction of the East exit.

"Ah not so fast, Captain!" He smiled apologetic at an old lady he had almost crashed into. He continued in a whisper: "Also we'll look suspicious if you drag me so unloving through the crowd. We're going for the usual traveling couple look, aren't we?"

"They'll just assume we're the usual been-together-for-too-long _couple_." She shot without even looking at him. Hawkeye was busy observing a man she found suspicious without him noticing.

"... you don't have to say 'couple' so mockingly, Captain."

"I'll consider that, Sir."

"You better drop the 'Sir' until we get back to headquarters."

She stopped in front of a little shop and turned to him.

"We snuck past most of them now, but there is one who interviewed you personally right at the East exit. We'll take a little detour and go to he North exit instead."

"Sure." Mustang acted as if he was inspecting the flowers in front of the shop, but let his eyes fly to the East Exit. Indeed, he recognized the man. He had questioned him about the progress in Ishval a while ago. And about Daisy, one of his sisters.

The press loves gossip.

Hawkeye came a little closer to whisper into his ear; while wearing an angelic smile: "Your escort should come any minute. We'll move then. And you should drop the 'Captain', too."

Mustang returned her wonderful albeit fake smile with pleasure. "Sure, _sweetie_!"

He could see how his Captain forced her eyebrow not to raise.

"May I help you?" The old man behind the counter asked friendly.

Mustang nodded: "The newspapers please."

He thought about saying 'a few of your pink carnations also' for a second but decided against it just as quickly.

"Something for the Misses?"

Hawkeye and Mustang looked at each other before Mustang exclaimed, smiling goofily: "Oh no we're not married yet!"

The 'couple' put their arms around each other and chuckled as if embarrassed.

Hayate titled his head at the odd behavior of the humans. He nudged Mustang's leg with his snout from behind to express his confusion.

"Oh I see. You make a good couple, though." The older man smiled kindly at them and handed the Brigadier General the newspaper. He watched Mustang a little longer than he should have: "Have I met you before?"

"Oh I often hear that, I just have a an everyman face." Mustang kept on smiling, but fidgeted with his head without thinking about it.

He didn't want to be recognized. Mustang needed to show he was in control of the situation and competent. He couldn't risk to loose face. And he would if he get asked questions before acquiring all information he needed from Lieutenant Maverick.

"Do you have aspirin?" Hawkeye asked, suddenly looking weak. "I feel a little shaky. Train trips aren't my thing."

"I do! Just need to get it from the back. A moment, young lady." The old man smiled and vanished behind a shelf. The former topic was wiped from his mind.

Hayate yawned loudly, sitting bored behind his master. The humans stayed silent. Yet Mustang's grip on his Captain's waist had tightened a little.

Better than mouthing 'Thanks' in his opinion.

+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+

Winry knocked softly on the door.

"Come in."

The newly wed was met by a few flying objects that might have been clothes.

"Still in the packing process, huh?" Winry smiled as she handed Mei the tea she had prepared for her Xingese friend.

"Yeah." Mei Chang answered snippy. "Thank you for the tea."

"Still upset about Alphonse?"

"How could I not be?" Mei exclaimed enraged, almost spilling some of the contents of her cup. "Can you believe his nerve? 'I'll go investigate, you go sit around here while I do that!' That's what he said basically. What was he thinking?"

"I don't get it either, he's not like that normally." Winry slowly sat down on the bed and inspected a shiny object she was sure of being either decoration for Mei's hair or weaponry. "Well, I always get to wait, but there's nothing I can do besides standing in the way or maintaining automail."

"I wouldn't have the patience for that." The younger girl laughed. "But I think you're giving yourself not enough credit. You might have never been up there at the front fighting, but you've been with Alphonse and Edward all this time – giving them strength to continue no matter what."

Winry felt her cheeks heating up a little and looked embarrassed to the ceiling: "Bwah, so corny! Al must be the one who said that, huh?"

"Something along those lines." Mei grinned. "Edward never said anything like that?"

"Something along those lines, yeah." Winry stuck out her tongue playfully. "Sweet-talk isn't his strong point."

"What is then?" Mei sat down next to Winry, still grinning broadly.

"Should I be offended that you suggest it's not blatantly obvious how come I took Ed as my husband?"

Mei shook her head. "Be happy I don't see whatever you see … I might have snatched him away then!"

Winry nudged her with her shoulder while she laughed: "Now I'm offended!"

"Did Alphonse say anything to you?" Mei suddenly asked, the concern showing itself in her voice.

"... I asked but he didn't really give me an answer."

The Xingese girl looked at her feet and returned to her never ending train of thoughts about her worth.

"He might just be a little cranky you know? He didn't sleep much- if at all. I hope he gets some rest now."

"Yeah ..." Mei whispered, her mind still absent. "You don't think he secretly has another girl in East City?"

Winry tried hard not to burst into laughter by Mei's suggestion.

"Mei … seriously! That's just impossible! I'm sure he has some stupid or maybe even good reason, just wait a little, I'm sure you're worrying over nothing. It's Alphonse we're talking about!"

"Well, maybe he really wanted me to look out for his useless brother."

The girls silently watched the ceiling for a moment.

"... Ed told me you got a pretty neat kiss from him, though?"

Mei suddenly started to emit a glow, that might have been pink and full of flowers if it were visible. "Oh yeah._ Neat_ indeed."

The girls fell silent again, grinning broadly.

+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+

Lieutenant Maverick had been up for way too long, he was running low on patience. Yet it wasn't Emma Johnson's fault. Or it was if she said the truth and she was the one who killed her fiancee.

He tried to look her in the eyes again, swallowing all signs of his fatigue.

"So let me ask again-" Maverick began but was cut short by Emma.

"He really is dead, isn't he?" She quietly whispered. "You're not going to tell me I just had a nervous breakdown or it was just a dream, aren't you?"

"Ms. Johnson, I know this must be hard for you-"

"Emerson ..." She spoke under her breath, her whole body shaking.

Emma sat opposite from Maverick at the interrogation table. They had dimmed the light by her request. They had cleaned her wounds and treated them. Her hands were bandaged, her face wasn't. Only a few big band aids covered the deepest wounds; the uncovered parts stared at Maverick, flaming red from the iodine.

"Miss, I know this isn't easy but I'm pushing you for your own well-being. You're our prime subject in this case as of now."

"So what?" She looked up, her eyes sharp under the tears that didn't stop flooding out of them. "I'm the murderer. I killed Emerson. You washed his blood from my hands. What is there left to say?"

She stretched them out in front of her and choked, letting out a bitter cry.

"I think you don't understand-"

"YOU'RE THE ONE WHO DOESN'T UNDERSTAND!" Emma suddenly jumped up and hit the table.

Maverick gave the officers watching from behind the mirror a sign to not rush in.

"I KILLED HIM!" Emma sunk to her knees, knocking over her chair. "I killed the man I love."

The Lieutenant slowly stood up and came to her side. He knelled down to be on her eye level:

"That's why you have to tell me about this. Why did you kill him?"

"... I don't know."

"Please, tell me what happened. Your case might be connected to a whole series of cases, we need your help."

She grabbed Mavericks shoulder for support. Emma would have fallen over otherwise.

"It's all blurry."

"Do you have problems remembering everything?"

"No, it's not that. I do remember. Clearly at that. But- but I- it's not blurry, but how should I say it?"

Maverick waited for the words he had dreaded.

"It's like I wasn't myself, like I was controlled by something else."

Emma was shaking hard again. She grabbed her head as she tried to remember the things she wanted to forget the most.

"I only remember how scared I was- how angry. The emotions they overwhelmed me. It was like they spoke to me. I- I wanted to stop it. I didn't want to kill him- I didn't want to hurt him! But- I couldn't stop it."

+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+

Gary Linwood didn't know how he should greet Mary. He knew her for years now. Mary had been the one who had hired him as the pianist of their band. He admired her as an artist, but really hated her attitude towards a few people or things. She could be a true diva sometimes. But then again, she was a lot of fun to be around.

Gary took a deep breath before he stepped forward; finally drawing the attention of Mary and the military officer that bore her company.

"Hey, pretty one." Gary smiled at the chanteuse, dearly hoping to be recognized.

He was.

"Gary! You old scamp! Where have you been? I was left with the crazy folk here." She glanced over to the still seated Havoc. "No offense, I didn't mind you handsome fellow keeping me company of course!"

She winked at the blonde. Havoc smiled back awkwardly.

Gary skipped over and hugged the slightly older singer.

"I'm glad! You seem to be better than what I've heard."

"Finally someone who doesn't talks to me like I'm crazy!" Mary flailed her arms in relief.

"Is it true you don't remember the attack?"

Mary crossed her arms: "God, I'm so sick of people asking! No, I don't remember. I can't even remember agreeing to this gig."

The pianist titled his head: "Really? You're the one who suggested it in the first place."

"Yeah, Edward told me that already. That he and his wife asked me and I accepted. I don't even remember him, though."

"Hm ... that's weird. But you remember all of us, right? The band, I mean."

"Sure, I do! Where are they anyway? Not worried about old me?"

Gary chuckled into his fist. "Course they are! But they sent me first to check on you. We weren't allowed to see you before the doctor was through with you."

"Would have thought Ricky that stupid maggot would have come with you as the first wave." Mary grinned. Gary went pale.

"What?" The singer asked confused by her colleague's reaction.

The pianist was struggling to find the right words as it dawned on him that no one had told her yet. He sighed in relief as Lieutenant Havoc stood up and spoke for the first time since the musician had entered:

"Richard Kean is missing."

Mary turned around, her expression unreadable.

Havoc continued: "Chances are high he was the one who attacked you. I'm sorry."

The singer looked bewildered from Havoc to Gary. The pianist could only avoid her glance.

"So- you're saying; Ricky- that mess of a man hit me? With a metal pipe? AND robbed me?"

"Yes. I'm sorry we haven't told you yet, but with your concussion and all … we wanted to make sure you feel good before starting to ask too many questions."

"You mean you think Ricky knocked me out and then ran away without you guys catching him right away?"

"Uh yes. We are doing everything we can to catch him, though! I assure you."

Mary stared at Havoc blankly.

Silence.

Just after Gary wondered if his friend was frozen and simply too shocked to react in any way; Mary started laughing – loud and hysterical.

She was laughing her ass off.

"Oh god! Oh god!" Mary held her belly, tears glistened in her eyes. "Oh god! You're serious aren't you? Oh that's the most hilarious thing I've ever heard."

The two men looked at each other unsure if SHE was serious or just had turned lunatic.

"Oh god, you can't seriously believe Ricky would be capable of doing something like that. Oh jeez, I need to sit down!" Mary still chuckled and walked over to the suite in front of the window.

"Mary, please this is a serious matter-"

"Yes it is! You guys are totally pursuing the wrong fellow!" She leaned back into the green easy chair. "Totally on the wrong track."

"You're still confused-"

"Oh stop that already. I'm sick of hearing that. Yeah, I might not remember everything that happened lately or how the hell I landed here, but believe me Ricky doesn't have the balls to take me down. He also doesn't have a reason to. Aaaand I'd totally kick his ass before he even lifts a finger."

"Mary ..." The Pianist whispered. "I know … that's what I said, too! That's … what I want to believe, but it seems like he really ..."

Gary looked at his feet, unable to look Mary in the eyes.

She only raised an eyebrow.

"You, too? Oh come on-"

"He has debts! Many of them! I … I told the officers about them, too! Mary, you know I like you, but the way you always treat Ricky … he must have snapped or something."

The singer smiled smugly. "I treat everyone the way they deserve. If he's too stupid to do the easiest things I scold him for it. None of you do. He's still like a child because no one ever straightens him up. And it would be seriously stupid of him to rob me because of his little gambling problem." She sighed deeply. "Do you think I don't know? I knew before any of you. He asked for my help and he got it. I pay his debts all the time. All I ask for in return is him to not miss a single show and do me some favors. Like buying me my cigarettes which is already a way too complicated task for that idiot."

"... you pay for them?"

"Why shouldn't I? It's not a secret that I have enough money. And I still receive so much, can do a little charity in return, can't I?"

"But- but why would Ricky strike you down then?" A cigarette would have fallen out of Havoc's agape mouth if they hadn't been detained by Rebecca a while ago.

"But he must still have a grudge against you!" Gary insisted

"Ah stop the silliness already! Ricky might be scared of me, but he doesn't hate me or anything. I'm like his mother in a way. Slap him sometimes, but he doesn't learn otherwise."

Havoc sighed miserably: "Just what am I supposed to do with that? He was the only one with a motive or could probably be in possession of the jewelry."

"Too much theory, too less evidence if you ask me." Mary gave Havoc a sharp glare that strangely reminded him of Captain Hawkeye the time she had found him examining that sexy lingerie magazine instead of the work she had given him. "Did anyone even see the poor boy banging my head with that pipe?"

"Not directly-" Havoc flinched as her glare became more intense. Like when Hawkeye found that bra that belonged to her best friend in his desk. "But we have an eye witness who saw the culprit and he said it could have been Mr. Kean."

Havoc wanted to slap himself as he heard himself say 'could have'.

"So- is that eye witness of yours trustworthy? What if he hit poor me and now blames everything on Ricky?"

"That's out of the question! The person is absolutely trustworthy!" Havoc stomped onto the floor with his crutch to emphasize his point.

"I say the same about Ricky. He's inept and a gambling idiot, but he would never do such a thing." Mary crossed her legs and traded her intimidating look for her nonchalant one.

Havoc wasn't ready to trust her theory: "Then why did he flee? He's gone, including the most of his belongings!"

"Why do you assume he fled? He could have been knocked out like me."

"Because we already searched everything! He must be gone. Gone at his own accord."

"It's your job to find out what happened, isn't it?" The chanteuse smiled at the man who she had kissed the night before. Not that she remembered, though. "I'm just giving you this advise: Ricky isn't the guy you should search for. And if your dear eye witness can be trusted – there must be something you must be missing. Or specifically someone."

+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+

"That went pretty well!" Mustang grinned pleased with himself.

"Wasn't that hard of a maneuver." Hawkeye said quietly so the cab driver didn't hear. "I just hope we'll get into the building without causing a scene."

"Ah well, worst case they take pictures of me driving in. The gossip is already on anyway." Mustang threw the newspaper he had bought at the station onto the seat between him and Hawkeye.

The headline was _'Man killed directly after interrogation on missing cases'_

A smaller headline said: _'Was B.G. Mustang's involvement the trigger for the murder?'_

"Here it is." The driver said and pulled over.

Mustang paid the man and got off, declining the driver's offer to help with their luggage.

Black Hayate followed right after his mistress – he had been lying at their feet peacefully.

They were in a calm part of East City. Only a few people were on the street. Mustang and Hawkeye had been here before, merely passing through.

After turning left and right they reached their destination. Lieutenant Smith stood right before a car and greeted them with a salute:

"Welcome back Brigadier General Mustang! Glad to see you're well Captain Hawkeye!"

"No one followed you?" Mustang asked as he opened the luggage compartment of his car. Smith had brought it.

"No, Sir." The young officer was still standing stiffly. He was really nervous. And tired. He hadn't been able to get any sleep after all. "The house is isolated by the military police, we'll be able to get through without a problem."

Smith handed Mustang the folder Maverick had prepared.

"Good. Tell me the basics while we drive." His Captain and him seated themselves at the back seat. Hawkeye leaned over so she could peek into the folder, too. Hayate laid down at their feet again. He sighed heavily; the dog realized it would take a little longer before he would get home.

Smith sat down in the front seat, behind the steering wheel.

"Sir," he began. "There's something that happened while you were on the train. It's not in the folder yet. I- We found Emma Johnson."

+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+

"_I can't do this!"_

_I just watch as they go in circles once again._

„_Look, maybe- when we go through it once more – we could only activate it-"_

„_And have someone else pay the toll? Are you crazy?"_

„_We don't have a choice!"_

„_Yes, exactly. We can't become murderers." The bitterness in his voice is almost louder than the fear._

_I already accepted it._

"_So, you wanna sacrifice instead?" My voice is calm. Too calm. It freaks them out. I can see it in their eyes. I don't care. "You joined this program. You swore an oath."_

"_To do good! For the people! Not to-" He's choking, only able to look at the blue tiles under his feet. "Even if I pay the toll- this goes beyond killing! We can't go through with this!"_

"_So, you're quitting?"_

"_I- I ..."_

_I laugh. At least be honest about your priorities, you fool._

"_How can you be so cold-hearted?" He croaks._

"_Cold-hearted? I'm just not trying to weasel out of this."_

_I don't want to die. Simple as that. But I don't say it._

"_So we're clear now?" Our colleague finally speaks again._

_At least **he** doesn't waver. It gives me confidence._

"_Yeah ..." The coward wants to live. Surprise._

"_Let's get started then." I say. "We want to report a success to the Führer as soon as possible, right?"_

I blink. I look around and realize that I just woke from a dream.

Waking before I see the agony of someone I ripped apart? That's new. Always dreams of the past. I'm so sick of it. But it's all I am – past.

I'm alone. The watch on my arm tells me I still have time.

Enough rest. Gonna use the time.

I close my eyes again. To visit the past. A past unknown to me.

+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+

+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+

**Author's nonsense:**  
Ohhhuu! Was there first person narrative again? Ohhh!

… Yes, I made a joke about amnesia in fiction. It's always so awfully constructed, lazy written and ... err … let's see how it'll turn out with Mary, shall we? *coughs*

However!

You people are very generous with the reviews lately! So many long and time consuming posts ... I'm so damn flattered D': I'm also very flattered by the alerts and favs I receive! **Thank you all so much!**

I also thank you, silent majority who reads this and must apparently exist! Just for reading and sticking around and all.

But if you feel like not being silent, you're free to comment like always. All reviews – short or long; bad or good – are thoroughly welcomed! :) I stopped the biting, too.

Wish you all a great 2011!  
the striped one


	15. Wasted Space

For a quick refreshment of your memory visit the recap:

**striped-fiction**(*DOT*)**lima-city**(*DOT*)**de/ch.15_recap**(*DOT*)**htm**

Beware! Side effects may be remembering what's going on!

Yup new place. The webspace is supposed to be ad free – please notify me if that isn't the case after all.

+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+  
+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+

**Chapter 15:  
Wasted Space**

The corridor of the small house was badly lit although the sun shone outside. Hawkeye and Mustang followed Sergeant Smith into the living room. They were greeted by a brightly lit room now and the all too familiar stench of a corpse.

The military police officers that had waited for them, saluted and exited to guard the door from outside.

"The body is still there as you can see, Sir." Smith pointed at the black plastic blanket that covered the ice-cold body of Emerson Chadwick.

The bookshelf next to the big window was toppled over just as the sofa was tipped over still, half of the curtains were on the floor.

"We found droplets of blood in the whole room. Also in the kitchen. It seems either the victim or the culprit entered through the window in the back. Might also have been both of them. Judging by the room they were fighting intensely. The front door was wide open when we arrived." Smith placed himself next to the black blanket. "Do you wish to see the body yourself, Sir?"

Mustang nodded, not showing any sign of emotion. His Captain stood beside him silently with the same blank expression on her face.

Smith pulled the blanket away, revealing Emerson. His mouth and eyes were wide open, his clothes torn apart and soaked in blood, revealing his maltreated flesh; his right arm lay in an unnatural angle to his side.

Smith was the only one who quivered at the sight. It didn't help that he had inspected it before already.

"The weapon involved was the shovel?" Mustang pointed at the gardening tool next to the victim. He had knelled down to look at the wounds more closely.

Smith nodded and stepped back slightly. "Yes, Sir. It's the only item here that is covered in blood and the size and pattern of the wounds fit."

"'Achi loves Vivi' ... ?" Hawkeye slowly read the bloody message that shone forth on the floor. "Have you checked if there are any connections to Chadwick or Johnson?"

"Yes! … We still are. But we still haven't found any true connections. Maverick ordered to file all Archibalds, Archies, Viviens or anything similar." Smith saluted instinctively, without it being necessary at all.

"'Achi' … weird abbreviation. Also missing the 'R' for an Archie, doesn't it? 'Vivi' is also rarely used ..." Mustang stood up slowly and stroked his chin, memorizing everything he saw in detail.

Hawkeye caught up on his train of thought: "Are you suggesting they aren't names?"

"Well, there aren't many reasons for a murderer to leave a message are there?" Mustang followed the trace of blood with his eyes as he spoke. "He either mocks us, gives us a lead on purpose or he was simply confused enough to leave us this hint."

"But what if it's a message from the victim? Wouldn't that make more sense?" Smith cut in, suddenly drawn in by the Brigadier General's deductions.

"Look at the body." Hawkeye stated. "There is no way he survived the attack. I'd say he died before the culprit was done with him actually. And even considering he did survive – there is no way he'd be able to put a message at that position with such a head and arm."

Smith followed the Captain's glance unwillingly – indeed there was no way, that was easy to see.

"The message is our main focus now. It might lead us to the next victim." The Brigadier General had followed some blood stenches and looked under the desk at the wall.

"Next victim?" The Sargent gasped loudly.

"Whoever is responsible for this murder; he's connected to our case. It's a _series_ of abductions or at least missing cases … we can't treat this as a simple accident, we have to expect it to be the norm from now on."

Mustang stood up properly and faced his Captain: "We also need to find the little boy – no matter how improbable it is that he's connected to this; we will make sure he won't be harmed."

+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+

Havoc was bored. He was helping Warrant Officer Brosch to look through all lists of the party service, the security, the train reports and even the lists of vehicles or horses that were in possession of the Resembool residents. There was also the fun part of comparing them to the whole reports and lists the military police had given them. And they were _a lot_. Havoc thought they were a little too detailed on some aspects – like how many toilet paper is and was in the hall. But growing up on the countryside himself, he kind of understood what a big thing this case must be for the otherwise bored officers.

It didn't help _his_ boredom, though. He mimicked the motion of puffing rings of smoke in the air, but he lacked the smoke. Becca had taken his last cigarettes with her. So he was puffing rings of air into the air.

"Good god!" Havoc yawned dramatically and stretched his arms over his head. "This never ends! Why bother with this? Like Kean is hiding in the dirty table cloths!"

Brosch laughed sympathetically: "Yeah, it's stupid work, but we have no other lead whatsoever, so-"

"Might as well do the stupid stuff to make sure we haven't missed anything, yeah yeah." Havoc threw the paper in front of him onto his 'finished' pile. "Hearing that from you of all people- You hang around Lieutenant Ross too much."

"Do I? I think she's just hanging too much around Captain Hawkeye actually. She became a lot more stern since she works in your office." Brosch chuckled and let his pen fall.

"And you still started dating only after she joined our holy circle, didn't you?"

"Well, she's only bad when in work mode. I kind of admire that even – she always gets her work done and pushes others to achieve their goals, too."

"Must be very dedicated as a girlfriend as well, huh?" Havoc guffawed, but kept an eye on the door; just in case.

"Like I'd tell you." The younger soldier stated, but turned subtly to check the door as well.

A grin started to form on Denny's lips that was more than an answer.

"Come on, feed the poor single dude some details." Havoc checked the list of kitchen supplies with half an eye.

"I don't kiss and tell, sorry." Denny practically beamed at him, radiating that typical I-just-remembered-_that_-thing glow. "Why are you so curious anyway? You have had by far more adventures than me."

"Just always wondered. You know with working with Captain Hawkeye for so long … and knowing her in private also … these kinds of women don't seem like the typical flavor."

The younger officer almost fell off his chair: "Don't tell me you have a thing for Hawkeye?"

"Don't be stupid! She's my superior and a friend; that's all. We also hung out together a lot when Becca and I were dating."

"Well, she does seem different off-duty ... I guess that the Captain and Maria have in common … but I don't think they're much alike otherwise."

"Hmm, you might be right." Havoc flipped through the papers, sighing at the numbers left.

"Still, why are you thinking about it? I admit Captain Hawkeye looked hot in that dress yesterday, but ..."

"I dunno. " Jean rocked on the chair and faced the ceiling. "Hawkeye never talks about romance or men. Only when Becca brought them up, maybe."

"Oh now I see, because she hung with Mustang the whole day, right?" Denny clicked his fingers. "They were all alone upstairs when the Mary thing happened, too!"

"Ha ha, yeah. Whenever I think there's nothing going on after all."

"But isn't it obvious? It's kinda common knowledge isn't it? One of the first things that I got told when I was transferred to the East City headquarters was: 'Don't flirt with Captain Hawkeye if you want to be promoted someday.'"

"Oh man I still remember that one poor fellow ... what's his face? … never mind, but he was stupid enough to ask her out in front of the Brigadier General."

Denny roared with laughter at the mental image.

Jean's pen finally fell on his current list; a list the East City train station had sent.

"You should have seen their faces! The guy was wiping the floors until he was finally granted a transfer; Hawkeye's coaxing didn't help."

The Lieutenant stopped chuckling as he continued: "It's true it's obvious there is a lot more between the Captain and the Brigadier General, but I kinda think they don't really-"

Havoc stopped talking in mid sentence. There wasn't something right on the list in front of him.

"This is weird."

"What is?" Brosch craned his neck to get a peek on what Havoc was looking at.

"This list. It's about the random controls they sometimes do. They've become more frequent now with all the missing people." Havoc pushed the list that had startled him over to Brosch. It was a list of passengers of the East City train station that had been checked on the day of the wedding.

Brosch suddenly remembered: "Yeah, they controlled many people that day. Me, too, look there's my name."

Havoc followed Brosch's index finger and raised an eyebrow: "'Peculiarity: None; apart from carrying hair rollers'?"

"Maria had called! I was bringing them for Catalina! Do I look like I use them? ! Why do they even write down things like that, jeez!" The younger officer pouted after his little outrage.

"... as I was saying: this list, here." The older man pointed at an entry way down. "Mary has been checked, too."

"So? Did she have hair rollers, too?" Brosch asked innocently.

"'_Maria J. West - _Peculiarity: Large sum of cash'!" The smoker almost shouted. "Over 1 Million Cenz!"

"WHAT?" Brosch almost fell of his chair. "One million? In cash to boot! That has to be a mistake!"

Havoc slowly leaned back on his chair, stroking his chin while he organized his thoughts. "No, idea. Maybe ..."

"Maybe?"

"Well, Mary said herself she doesn't need to worry about money, right?"

"So you say it's normal for rich people to carry around so much just like that?"

"No no, of course not. Specially to a wedding, even if it's work. If you carry around so much, in cash, than you do so because you have a purpose for it." The smoker only looked at the ceiling, his eyes suddenly sharp and cold.

Brosch noticed: "Are you saying … Mary planned something?"

Havoc didn't move, instead he stated dryly: "I thought it was strange."

Brosch looked at his superior officer utterly confused again.

"The band. They came in the first train from East City that day, just like you." Havoc slowly stood up, not being able to do it fast with his crutches. "Mary is a diva and the leader of the band. Yet she didn't rehearse with the others; and they only started practicing when the next train had already arrived for a long while."

"So?" Brosch had an idea what he was trying to say, but he hoped he was wrong.

His hope was in vain, Havoc's answer was what he expected: "Mary might not be purely innocent and have some skeletons of her own in the closet."

"Havoc! Aren't you forgetting who the victim here is? Mary is the one who got attacked!"

"And we might finally have a lead to the 'why'. The money isn't with her anymore, right?"

"But, what does that mean?" Brosch leaned onto the table, eying Havoc intently. He didn't like the tone in his voice.

"Just a theory: Mary brought the money to buy something off someone at the wedding; or bribe someone who knows. But the deal doesn't go as planned and she gets knocked out and robbed by the culprit; the missing jewelry is only meant to make us believe it was a normal robbery. He couldn't have known that someone else knew about the money." Havoc threw his hands into the air. "Ugh, I don't know, maybe! But it can't be a coincidence Mary brought so much cash."

Brosch didn't find it as likely as Havoc: "Don't jump to conclusions so easily! How can you say that! Weren't you close to Mary that night? And now you think she might have been involved in all of this ..."

"Just a hunch." Havoc chuckled bitterly and faced away. "Didn't you know? I have a thing for landing the wrong chicks. It's an old habit."

+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+

Roy Mustang's appearance was that of a great man. A man of great strength and power, a man who could have any women he desired, a man who would soon rule East City and someday the whole nation. A grand man with high dignity.

His apartment didn't reflect that.

It was a four room apartment. The fourth room would have been totally empty if it weren't for the old piano in one of the corners. The room had big windows and let the sunshine in splendidly on evenings.

The third room wasn't really in use either, but it was the opposite of empty. It was occupied by boxes that were unopened since two moves ago and many stuff Roy himself wasn't able to remember properly. If you'd ask him what kind of stuff he'd only remember the old coat he had thrown carelessly on top of the mountain of stuff he never used and kept in the dark room. The light bulb only flickered.

The second room was his bed room of course. The tiny bathroom was right next to it. Many pictured him having a big king-size bed with expensive bed linen – he was notorious for his lady hunts after all. But it wasn't anything like that, just a little broader than the usual single beds and the bed linen were almost as plain as the ones from back in the military academy.

But the bed room was what he used most. He practically didn't do much else then return here to sleep after all. Well and change. His wardrobe had an immense size in comparison to the room on the whole.

Then there was the living room. The room was tidy if you only looked at one spot at a time, but it seemed chaotic if you looked at everything at once. There was an oven with a hot plate in the corner, but he had never used it. Roy used it for storing books instead.

The shelves were full of books as well. Some photos kept them company, but not many.

In another corner was a desk, some forms and files were scattered around on it. There was also a radio on the desk. It was on and screeched a mellow song on low volume.

Roy's still unpacked luggage from the wedding lay next to the couch that stood in the middle of the room. On the couch was Roy Mustang himself, owner of the apartment that offered more space than he even attempted to use. He tried to take a nap, but couldn't.

He couldn't stop going through all the information he had gotten over and over again.

A ring suddenly. Mustang immediately sat up and reached for the phone on the couch table, preparing himself for more bad news. But he chose an informal greeting nevertheless:

"Mustang here, hello."

"Hello there, Brigadier General. How are we today?"

It was the old and raspy voice of his former mentor and now highest ranked superior – Fuhrer Grumman.

+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+

"So, let me make sure I understood everything properly: there was a row of missing cases that became notorious because the missing persons all showed up a few days later and claimed they were possessed by something. Then you stepped in, Brigadier General. But on the day you _happen to be out of town_ the fiancee of the currently missing person gets killed and the next day she shows up and confesses it was her?"

"Yes, Sir."

"And the wedding you attended on the same day the murder happened was interrupted by an attack on the singer?"

"Yes, Sir."

Mustang kept silent and waited for the reaction of the Fuhrer.

"Bwahahaha!" Grumman's fleered at his former protege's misery. "You're pretty unlucky, dear Brigadier General."

"Ah yes ..." Mustang almost whispered.

"Do you think it's just coincidence?" The Fuhrer's voice was completely serious suddenly, not a trace of his amusement was left.

"I'm still unsure about that."

Another moment of silence before Grumman continued, seemingly lighthearted but Mustang heard the serious undertone: "I'm sorry to tell you, Brigadier General, but I think I have to delay my visit for a bit. It's so hectic at Central at the moment! _You understand right?_"

"Yes, Sir." Mustang knew what he meant.

Grumman had already intimated to him that he would promote Mustang soon and leave him officially in charge of East City and with that the whole east. It was planned to become official on his visit. Grumman wouldn't visit now. Not before the case was closed and the Brigadier General rose as the winner.

"I will solve all this before you arrive, Sir. I will have time for a party of chess then."

"I shall look forward to that." Grumman chuckled. "I'm a little sad I wasn't invited to the wedding. Not that I would have been able to make it anyway."

Mustang joined into his chuckling: "I remember now, you like weddings don't you, Sir?"

"Indeed! They are always fun. A lot to drink and eat – and beautiful bridesmaids. I would have stolen that scary aide of yours for a few dances. Say is she a good dancer?"

Mustang was always amazed how he was able to bring their conversations in this direction.

"Yes, she is actually." The Brigadier General replied brightly, but his smile didn't match his tone. Conversations over the phone had their benefits. He had to act less.

"Is that so, too bad I wasn't there to bear witness." Grumman sighed a little too dramatically. "Okay, Brigadier General, my assistant looks like I'm late to something. See you soon."

"Yes, Sir. Thank you for calling, it's an honor."

+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+

"... you want to question Mary without her noticing it?" Lieutenant Ross rose her eyebrow at Havoc.

"Yeah. Something is odd. She has a secret of her own, I'm sure of it."

"So you think she has something to do with the attack? Next you'll claim that she might just fake the amnesia, huh Lieutenant Havoc?"

"I'm not sure. She seemed to honestly not remember me … and if she was faking: it would be weird for her to claim too know all the band people, but not us, right? I honestly don't know if she really had planned anything, but something is fishy."

Brosch just watched silently as his girlfriend and Havoc discussed the matter. He wasn't sure which side he'd support if he opened his mouth.

"So?" Havoc fixed Ross with his blue eyes. "You were left in charge, so what do you say?"

"I know, Lieutenant." Ross closed her eyes as she thought about his plan. "Fine, talk to Mary all you want, but don't pressure her too much. We can't afford to screw this up."

"Alright!" Havoc nodded enthusiastically.

"So how will you go about this?"

Havoc straightened up and responded full of confidence and glee: "No idea!"

+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+

"Come in."

Hawkeye, being in uniform of course, slowly opened the door and greeted Mustang with a salute.

"Punctual like always."

"You shouldn't leave your door open." The Captain closed the door behind her, ignoring his never changing statement on her punctuality. "Not ready yet, Sir?"

Her superior sat down on his sofa, putting the bread he was munching on it's plate on the small table in front of it.

"Only need to change." Mustang couldn't help but register her sigh. "I was held up by the Fuhrer, not my fault."

"The Fuhrer?" Hawkeye inquired, visibly startled.

"Yeah. He's delaying his visit – my last respite." Roy gorged down the remains of his meal.

"I see." Hawkeye's gaze darkened; she undestood the implication but decided to report her news instead of commenting: "Lieutenant Colonel Armstrong, Lieutenant Catalina, Lieutenant Breda and Warrant Officer Fuery arrived."

The Captain didn't sit down next to Mustang, even so he had had left more than enough space for her.

"Good, is there already an appointment for our conference?"

"Yes, Sir. But there's still something else." Hawkeye pointed at the side of her face to make her superior realize he had a few crumbles sticking there. "Alphonse Elric and Mei Chang came with them."

"What? !" The crumbles flew down from his cheek as he growled.

"They apparently want to help."

"I figured that much." Mustang frowned and sighed. "What do they want to help with anyway? It's investigation, not some battle."

"Do you want to sent them away then, Sir?" Hawkeye asked bluntly, knowing perfectly well that he wouldn't.

"Ah well. What does it matter? Might turn out to help us after all."

"Sir?"

"All this. The missing people, the murder – it doesn't make sense at all. Then you have the attack on Mary that happens on the same night. Is it really coincidence? If it's not Alphonse Elric will be of help, definitely."

Hawkeye watched him sternly: "Do you think it's possible someone is targeting you, Sir? That all this is just a scam to hurt your reputation?"

"It's a possibility." Mustang stood up and went to his coffee machine. "Do you want some, Captain? I really need a coffee right now."

"Let me." She gently shoved him away, without facing him. "Please, change while I prepare the coffee, Sir."

Mustang frowned and turned around, slowly pacing to his bedroom: "Fine, but don't complain about me not being a good host later."

"I'll only complain if you're late, Sir."

+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+

Hawkeye turned away from the coffee machine, waiting was all that was left.

She heard that the Brigadier General was rummaging around in his wardrobe. She couldn't comprehend what there was to search for, but she would let him change in peace.

She thought about sitting down on the sofa – but decided against it. Instead she walked through the living room slowly. She never understood why the Brigadier General had chosen this apartment. It was too big and half of it was unused. The security here wasn't great, either.

Hawkeye herself had never considered something bigger than her small two room apartment. It was more than enough for Hayate and her. She was barely there anyway.

Hawkeye peeked into the room second on the right, it was the empty one. Nothing apart from an old newspaper and the piano. He always had had it. At least from when she saw his apartment for the first time. It had been a different place then.

She had heard him play sometimes. He was good, as far as she was able to tell. Mustang had told her about how he learned to play from his foster mother. Some of the anecdotes were pretty hilarious. He rarely sang along as she did however.

They had a piano in her parents house as well. But it has never been used. She assumed it used to be her mothers, but she had never asked her father directly.

"Want to learn how to play after all?" Mustang stood in the door frame and was finally in his uniform. He grinned at her as if he had no care in the world.

"No, still don't want to." She turned to face her superior who came to her side.

"I haven't played in a while myself to be honest." He smiled at the piano, his old and loyal friend.

"Sir, your collar." Hawkeye twitched at her own collar to show him that his was unorderly.

"Oh?" Mustang attempted to fix the wrong side.

Before thinking about it Hawkeye stepped forward and did it for him. Than she suddenly noticed his freshly put on after shave; she only realized in that instant that she was too close.

For a split second they stood still – amber eyes met onyx ones.

They instantly thought back to the wedding … how Mustang had closed her dress, how they danced, how the uplifting mood made them step over their boundaries yet again.

The warmth that had filled them that day.

They had been at this exact distance then, too.

It was the perfect distance to lean into an innocent kiss …

But this time neither moved closer. Both moved away.

There was no dress, no wine, no dance - just the blue of their uniforms.

Hawkeye smiled gently at her superior: "The coffee must be ready now."

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+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+

**Author's babble **(beware of emo-ness)**:**  
Working title of this one was "Havoc Needs A Hug".

Okay, I'm back! BIG sorry, guys and gals! New game and social life aside: I haven't been the best of health last month and busy in general. Stupid beginning of the year for me :(  
I also had trouble with the plot since (as some of you know) I had a big data loss some time ago and I'm still suffering because of it. I also rewrote this chapter completely (as in hit ctr+a+del and started over), because I wasn't content with the pace. Too goddamn slow.  
But enough of that: I suck. I'm sorry :(

I'll hopefully be better now, since I used the little break to prepare the next chapters in detail. Expect the next chapter next week!

Hope you forgive me and enjoy the story despite my lazy ass!

**Thank you all for reading and reviewing! I appreciate that lots and lots.**

Love and stripedness,  
the striped and sorry one

PS: I take it as fact that Fuhrer Grumman is Riza Hawkeye's grandfather. Just FYI.  
It was stated once in a data book … and I like it so there will be references to that in the future.


	16. Jester

Same recap as last time:  
**striped-fiction**(*DOT*)**lima-city**(*DOT*)**de/ch.15_recap**(*DOT*)**htm**

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+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+

**Chapter 16: Jester**

Brigadier General Mustang and his aide Captain Hawkeye sat in his living room. They talked about their case, how much Elicia had grown and that the coffee brand the Brigadier General had bought this time was horrible.

They didn't talk about the seemingly electricity charged air, how Hawkeye avoided sitting directly next to Mustang when they were alone and that Mustang still felt a warm tingle where the Captain had grazed his neck with her hand when she had fixed his collar.

These moments were rare. They never talked about 'them' _–_ as in how couples use the 'us'. But they almost never felt uncomfortable in each others presence.

They've been together for a long time after all. They understood each other, even in silence.

Riza Hawkeye was the only person in front of whom Roy didn't have to act. It would have been futile anyway, she could always tell if he was sincere or not.

She knew him at his best. She knew him at his very worst.

There was no one else Roy was as comfortable with.

But.

But!

Right now Mustang just wanted to stand up and free her off that stupid blue jacket, loosen her hair … continue where they had stopped before.

And she knew.

And he knew that she knew.

It was uncomfortable.

He couldn't enjoy their calm moment together this way. Their small talk seemed hollow. It often did.

But these times, when they were alone and just drank coffee together. He really treasured these moments. Normally.

Normally, it wasn't as hard to keep his urges under control.

The knowledge that she would turn him down at the moment helped, but the lump in his chest wanted him to try anyway.

It happened more often lately. She had been right about the boundaries – if you lower them once, you will lower them again.

They were so pathetic.

Drawn to each other, entwined by fate, yet they were each other's poison. Or rather fire. That seemed more appropriate in so many ways.

And stupid.

Roy liked to watch her while she talked. The way her lips curved to form the words, how sometimes a single hair escaped her barrette and how her eyes changed depending on what she spoke about. They were soft at the moment.

He wondered sometimes if-

But he knew the answer before he even formed the question.

She knew it, too.

And he knew that she knew.

+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+

"-Emma Johnson has been in custody since then. She claims she murdered Chadwick, but that she had no control over herself." Lieutenant Maverick spoke in front of Mustang and most of his officers that worked on the case. The Brigadier General had given it the code name _'Jester'_.

He took a deep breath before he continued. "Johnson was very confused and seemed to have hurt herself on purpose. But none of her wounds are severe. She doesn't remember much before she … started to feel like she had 'lost control'. She only remembers a bright light. And after that she 'was a bystander to herself'. Johnson's state was still bad, so I ended the interview earlier than I would have wanted to. I will resume the questioning tomorrow."

Maverick let the information sink and waited for Mustang to dismiss him.

They all had gathered in East City headquarters' conference room to revise all details of 'Jester'. Most of them had come directly from the train station to sit down at the long table.

Mustang nodded to Maverick. "Thank you, that's all."

The tall man bowed slightly before he returned to his seat right between Armstrong and Smith.

Next was Hawkeye: "The message the culprit left at the crime scene – 'Achi loves Vivi' – has not produced any results with our decoders yet. Johnson fell silent when the message was mentioned to her – only whispering 'Vivianne' before she broke down crying. But we still haven't found any Viviannes or similar named women of any connection of importance." Hawkeye didn't pause while she turned the pages on her clipboard. "We have a hit with the 'Achi' part of the message however."

Everyone aside from Mustang looked up, surprised that they had a new clue.

"Lionel _Archer_ – he refers to himself as a businessman, but he's the owner of a notorious casino in the red district part of East City and is known for his illegal business. He's the one who sold Johnson's late father the house Chadwick was murdered in. Word goes around her father left a lot of debts Emma wasn't able and willing to pay." Hawkeye reached the last page. "But that's not all. It might be a complete coincidence ... however: Archer is a frequent visitor of the 'Red Barrel' and a fan and acquaintance of Mary West."

The officers that had been at Edward's and Winry's wedding were all ears immediately.

Mustang didn't bother to wait until Hawkeye had sat down again; still sitting he began:

"We have a good lead, but it's not enough. We still have no idea what's going on." He turned to the left side of the table: "Lieutenant Colonel Armstrong – you have great influence in Central City. I want you to go to the capital and find out what you can about similar cases."

"Similar cases?" The muscle man questioned in his manly voice.

"Yes, I heard a few cases that are very similar to our 'Jester' occurred in the south. We need to check if it's true and if there are more." Mustang pulled out the newspaper article he had gotten from Izumi Curtis before the wedding and passed it around. "Breda and Smith will accompany you and travel to the west or south as appropriate – I want direct interviews from the people involved."

Smith raised his arm: "What about the north, Sir?"

Mustang grinned, satisfaction showing on his face. "We happen to have an informant there already. I'm sure we'll hear from him soon, as long he doesn't get too derailed by his new girlfriend."

Somewhere in a train headed to the nothingness surrounding Briggs, a man called Vato Falman suddenly sneezed.

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Mei Chang knew she didn't always act like it, but she was a princess. She hadn't been brought up in luxury; the contrary actually. But! She grew up with a head full of fairy tails.

Stories about maidens born into poverty that lived their dull lives in a humble and honest manner – and got rewarded by their sacrifices in the end: A prince would come to rescue them and love them till the end of time.

Mei was older now, she was a woman now! Mei knew the stories she heard as a child had nothing to do with reality.

And yet she loved how Alphonse was the prince she had always dreamed of.

He was kind, gentle and mature. Tall and handsome. He paid attention to her every word. He was very polite, yet fierce and manly. Her dear Alphonse was even able to fight with her on equal footing.

He was the prince on the white horse – just without the horse.

He even had come to the East to look for her!

Alphonse had been surprised when he had run into her, but she firmly believed her prince had come for her, not for some bogus reason like understanding the world.

… he must have hoped to find her _at least a little_.

She was happy the King had chosen her to help to strengthen the diplomatic tie between Xing and Amestris. That way she was allowed to be at his side and travel with him. Including back to Amestris. Mei Chang was a diplomat now!  
At least in a loose manner. That way she had more freedom. Like staying in Resembool for Winry's wedding.

It was thanks to Emperor Ling. Her clan had it so much better under him. He had small eyes and a bad attitude, but he was righteous. His highness was already high respected both within the clans and among his people, despite his age.

However!

She was worried about her prince now. Or rather was still upset.

Alphonse had apologized, but she still felt uneasy. It wasn't like she hadn't forgiven him, just- she couldn't put her finger on it.

"Alphonse?"

"Hmm?" Her prince looked up from the newspaper he was reading and turned his head to face her.

"Is everything alright?" She looked him directly into his wonderful golden eyes, trying to spot the reason for her discomfort.

He smiled at her like he always did: "Of course. Apart from us investigating a crime I mean."

Al turned back to his newspaper.

He was sitting peacefully in one of the armchairs of the hotel room. Or better _his_ room. Alphonse had reserved separated rooms for both of them.

Mei sat across from him; on the bed in which she wouldn't sleep tonight.

They had had a fight about this when they checked in. If Alphonse was something than it was chivalrous – she was still surprised he hadn't even asked if they would share rooms.

With two single beds of course.

Mei's cheeks started to flush at the mere thought of-

... To make _her_, the innocent maiden point it out in front of all people. The nerve of him!

But she didn't want to discuss it again. He apologized swiftly after all.

Still. Something was bothering him and he didn't talk about it. Mei could feel it.

"Are you looking for news regarding that case?" It was obvious, but Mei wanted to at least try to fish for some information.

Al nodded while he turned a page.

"Yeah. But nothing we don't know yet. Mary made it in, too. Not on the front page but still." He folded the newspaper and held the article in question up for her to see.

Mei got up ad snatched the newspaper from him immediately to inspect it.

"Man," Alphonse sighed. "It would be so much easier if Mustang would have allowed us to attend their conference."

Mei had sat down on the floor, cross-legged, to read the article: "Indeed, he should know better. We defeated that creepy father four years ago after all."

"I don't think it's that he doesn't trust us ..."

"He better! If he can't trust us who else?" Mei huffed.

+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+

"Firstly: Person goes missing. Secondly: Person stays missing for a few days. Thirdly: Person comes back, puzzled." Breda took a deep breath. "How? And more importantly why?"

"We don't have any lead about that ..." Fuery said. "Maybe it's really how it seems. 'Person' gets abducted and is held prison for a few days."

Smith continued for the young tech freak: "And the non-sense they spout after coming back is drug induced!"

Hawkeye shook her head: "Their testimony's are too identical. They all report a bright light and that they were 'possessed', unable to control themselves. The only thing different are the places they describe. They even describe all the same feeling of despair – if they had hallucinations because of drugs they would all say something different entirely.

Armstrong coughed to draw attention to his enormous person: "What about one of our very first thesis'? They were hypnotised."

Mustang didn't seemed pleased but said nevertheless: "We can't rule that out entirely, but it seems unlikely. Hypnosis might exist and work, but the patients don't remember the time during their hypnosis at all usually, don't they?"

The lowest ranked soldier, Smith, spoke up again: "But it could be a special kind of hypnosis who knows?"

"That's true, that's why it remains a possibility." Brigadier General Mustang's voice was very serious. Like always when he was thinking about an important matter. "However we haven't discussed a more likely possibility yet."

Everyone aside from Hawkeye looked at him surprised. They had no clue.

"It would explain why they all mention a bright light."

"You mean- Alchemy, Sir?" Armstrong guessed it right away. But he was one of the state's top alchemists after all.

"Indeed." Mustang smiled. "The bright flash of light during a transmutation – that could be our answer."

Breda scratched his head, trying to piece everything together: "But transmute what? And it still doesn't explain why the victims vanish for a few days. Judging by Johnson they aren't locked away somewhere."

"That's the tricky part." Mustang shook his head, knowing what he'll say next: "So we still have to consider option three: The victims really were possessed by something."

Half of the officers groaned while the other half gasped.  
Apart from the Captain of course.

"That's ridiculous!" Breda exclaimed while he buried his face in his palm.

Hawkeye cut in: "It might not be so ridiculous if you drop the term 'possessed'. It could be some kind of virus. It would explain why there was always only one person at a time missing."

Fuery was a little confused by that statement: "But don't they spread to as many people as possible?"

"Not if they aren't fully developed yet." Mustang answered. "It might be in a phase where it can only infest one person at the time – thus hopping from one host to another. It would fit with our missing persons; on the day one person resurfaced the next goes missing. That can't be coincidence."

"That actually makes sense." Breda whispered into his fist, thinking hard. "Maybe it's a dysfunctional experiment of the science department."

"It'd better be dysfunctional and not evolving; with the death of Chadwick this isn't anywhere harmless anymore. If it is a virus or not doesn't change that." Hawkeye stated sternly.

"We still have too less clues to find our what it is exactly but we will examine all possibilities." Mustang stood up. "The old victims will be interviewed again – maybe they know Achi and Vivi."

+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+

Havoc had spotted his prey.

Mary West sat at one of the table in the dining hall of the small inn. She was reading a newspaper and seemed to be deep in thought.

He had no clue how to approach her. His instincts told him that something was wrong with Mary. But he wasn't sure if she remembered what was amiss.

'Just do it naturally!' Havoc told himself. He mightily stepped forward.

"Good evening." He greeted her with a serious look and a slight bow. "Do you mind if I join you for a bit?"

"Not at all~" Mary gave him a radiant smile. "Unless you want to question me yet again. Then you should wait a bit."

Havoc shook his head and sat down at the opposite side of the small table. "No, just for some conversation if you don't mind."

Mary continued to smile, but didn't respond this time.

Havoc thought she somehow looked different from yesterday. Tired, which was no wonder, but also older. The tall women seemed small suddenly, her fiery eyes dull; she had put her long brown hair up, but at least that was still shining.

The officer also noticed that she wore something less revealing than what he was used to. Mary was wearing a dress, but it wasn't as short or low cut as the ones he had seen her before in. Her feather boa was missing. And she still wasn't wearing any jewellery.

"Let down by my unglamorous appearance, my dear?"

Havoc wanted to kick himself; she had caught him staring. He felt like a complete idiot.

Mary grinned evilly: "You should see me in my bathrobe attire!"

"NO! I mean- I didn't mean to- You just look so different!" The blond man stuttered. He rubbed the back of his head in an attempt to hide his embarrassment.

"In a bad way?" Mary acted hurt but winked at the younger man, still grinning broadly.

"NO! Of course not!" Havoc wanted to kick himself yet again. Just for being so _smooth_. "I mean sure you look awesome in your evening dress, but I really like your natural look as well."

Mary just continued to grin at him and placed her head onto her folded hands to watch him closely.

She hummed, before she leaned back into her seat and stopped her staring.

"To be honest – I never walk around like this in public. I like to look my best at all times. I'm vain I know, but nothing wrong with a pretty lady being at her prettiest right?"

Havoc simply nodded.

"But since we're in the back of beyond I might as well wear something comfy. My head is killing me!" Mary chuckled lowly and grabbed the cup of coffee in front of her.

"You look great this way, Mary." Havoc eyed her seriously, but smiled gently. "Your head still hurts? Should I get you something cool for the wound?"

"No no," Mary shook her head and started to massage her temples. "It's not the wound, just these horrible headache. And the dizziness. Worse than any hangover."

"So bad? Should I get you some pain killers? Maybe the doctor is still around-"

Mary took hold of his sleeve and stopped Havoc before he ran away. "Nah, he already left. He gave me a little something before he took off but he also said I shouldn't overdo it. Don't worry I'm a tough cookie, I'll get over it."

Jean sat down again, smiling sadly this time.

"I've meant to ask you before, but it was kinda … chaotic till now- Have me met before?" Mary asked untypically innocently.

"Uh-" Jean thought a moment before responding, but decided going about it honestly was the best strategy. "Well, yes. We talked a bit at the wedding party."

Jean's tone became a lot lighter as he remembered that Mary had kissed him. He couldn't help but look at her lips.

"Hmm?" Mary hummed, her lips curved into a grin again. As if she knew what 'talking' implied. But Mary West was a person who loved clarity and not guessing: "Did we do something naughty, my love?"

Jean was thankful he hadn't ordered yet. If he had been drinking something he'd have to do one of these cliché 'spitting liquid out because just that shocked' things otherwise.

"NUH!" Jean answered a little to loud and a little too unclear. He coughed before he continued: "We talked! Nothing naughty!"

"Oh?" Mary's grin became omniscient. She leaned forward and let her breasts rest on her folded arms.

Havoc gave himself a mental slap.

'Focus. This is work. If this continues you're nothing but her plaything … not that it would be bad- FOCUS! This might be my chance! I have to keep in control now …' Jean debated the matter with himself.

This was the chance to verify if Mary really didn't remember last night.

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_Why. Why. WHY._

_This will never end._

_I killed._

_But my hands, my hands they're clean. No blood. They're innocent._

_My hands. Innocent. Am I innocent?_

_I want to be._

_So many horrible things. Almost a whole nation._

_Killing. Killing. Killing! Always just killing!_

He screamed. Loud and clear. The sound was alien to him. It always was lately, but this time particularly.

He looked at his hands. They were unfamiliar, too. They didn't fit. Just like last time.

But nothing fit anymore. For a long time.

_Love. Why can't it be love?_

_My love._

Tears started rolling down his face. He couldn't stop crying.

The one wallowing in his sorrow was old. And ignorant of what he was doing.

He had no idea that he was cowering in an old unused building that would be familiar if he had been able to look properly. He had no idea how much time had passed. Where he was. That he shouldn't be looking for his love.

That he only brought destruction.

He had no idea he was giving others a reason to grief like he did.

He wasn't able to grasp it.

Just like he didn't realize why his voice seemed so weird and high pitched.  
Why his hands were suddenly so small.  
Why his legs started to buckle after he ran a distance.

The answer was because they all belonged to a child.

He was only five years old. And missing.

His name was Bennet Plaice.

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**Author's Notes and usual blabla:**  
Next time: Jean and Mary do it on the table. Whoop-whoop.

That I'm not able to have Ling and Ranfan appear in this story is my only real qualm with the setting XD I really wanna write something with them in it.

**Thank you all **for reading, reviewing, alerting and even favoriting! Wow~  
It is appreciated! A lot! Mucho! Wirklich! Totoo! Vraiment!

Also thanks a lot for pointing out errors!

If you feel like reviewing, you're allowed to do so – makes me happy every time.

Till next time! I'll shall return to my bed now *coughs and sneezes* No need to pity me, I have a lot to read and my PS3 :p And tea with honey! :3

the striped one


	17. Just A Keepsake

_Still_ same recap:  
**striped-fiction**(*DOT*)**lima-city**(*DOT*)**de/ch.15_recap**(*DOT*)**htm**

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**Chapter 17: Just A Keepsake**

Roy didn't even bother to glance over his shoulder to make sure he wasn't followed. He opened the door to the bar that always plastered a smile on his face before he even touched the door knob.

"Roooooooooooooy~~"

The woman at the bar immediately jumped up and ran over to greet the Brigadier General. He was more than happy to catch her in his arms.

"Good evening, Madeline!" Roy smiled happily. "Wonderful new hair cut."

"You like it?" the beautiful women smirked and posed for him. She wore an elegant evening dress and wore fancy make-up; like all women in the bar. She was a hostess after all.

She played with one of her light brown strands of hair while she asked him as if embarrassed: "I'm glad you like it. I wasn't too sure about cutting my hair at first."

Madeline took Roy's coat and led him to the bar.

"I have a weak spot for women with short hair." Roy winked at her.

"It's not THAT short, you. Just shoulder length! Madame Christmas should be back any minute." his sister sat down next do him and squeezed his arm tightly. "Been a while, Roy! Haven't you missed us?"

"Ah work's been crazy lately ..." Roy sighed dramatically. He stretched his arms out on the counter, wearing a miserable look on his face.

They had quite a lot of customers today. Specially for a Monday night. Roy left looking around too much be, like always. It was an unwritten rule, specially for a special guest like he was.

However, the hostess bar was brimming with noise and laughter and he was sure they also had good business in the back.

"Poor baby. Maybe I should help you relax a little?" Madeline leaned forward, revealing her cleavage. But she didn't let him look for too long; she stood up and started to massage his shoulders.

"Ha ha," Roy chuckled smugly. "You have my permission_ for that_ whenever."

"Oh only? Are we still playing favourites, my dear?" Madeline pouted. "You're so cruel."

"I didn't say that." Roy's light-hearted tone kept unchanged, just like his smile. He let his head fall onto the counter, starting to relax.

"You're so tense! You should take a break more often."

"As a matter of fact – I just returned from a whole weekend off." Roy sighed dramatically for the second time this evening.

"Oh? Where did you go?" Madeline asked while massaging his neck.

"Attended the wedding of an old acquaintance." He stated absent-mindedly.

"Hmm, _old_ acquaintances of yours starting to get marry now, too?" The women hummed while she penetrated his lower back.

"He's younger than me actually."

"That's even sadder." She said bluntly and patted him on the back. "All done."

"They're quite happy, though." Roy rotated his shoulder blades to feel the results of the massage properly. "Thank you~"

"You know exactly I didn't mean that. _They_ surely don't have to be pitied." She winked at him. "I didn't mean marriage in general either. It's a wonderful bond after all."

"Oh? Do you want to get married then?" Roy beamed at her and held out one of his hands.

Madeline took it and beamed right back: "Right away!"

Roy sparkled at her like he always did when flirting.

"Ohoho, that was a quick answer! Well I'm a great catch after all!" He boasted.

"Not to you, though~" The beauty stated, grinning at him fully amused.

"Ouch. You're the cruel one after all." Mustang grabbed his chest as if heart broken.

"No woman wants to be second choice, you know." Madeline stuck out her tongue.

Roy didn't have any time for backtalk, she continued right away: "Have you asked Elizabeth yet?"

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Alphonse sighed. There was nothing he could do at the moment. It was frustrating.

Mei and him were patrolling East City, thinking they might be able to catch the right person in the dark.

Al had suggested to roam around separately, but Mei had been against it, not wanting to risk one of them getting into trouble alone.

"We're almost back to the headquarters ..." It was Mei's turn to sigh. "Another round without anything suspicious."

"Maybe we should split up after all-"

Mei answered with a fierce glare; fierce enough to make Alphonse drop it.

"Do you want to get rid of me so badly?" She huffed.

"No! Not at all!" Al flung his arms around desperately. He grabbed her hand and locked his eyes with her: "I'm sorry."

"You said so before ..."

"No, I really am. I'm just a little anxious at the moment. We're not sure what we're even getting into. It's not a good sign everything's so mysterious … I'm just worried. I don't mean to be mean, Mei. I'm really sorry."

She squeezed his hand tightly and smiled lovingly at him: "It'll work out, you'll see! It'll be a piece of cake in contrary to what we've been through already!"

Al smiled and leaned down to kiss her.

A certain officer happened to turn into the street they were standing in. She spotted the couple from a distance and turned on her heels to avoid disturbing them- but too late; Mei noticed.

"CAPTAIN HAAAAWKEYE!" She screamed and ran over immediately, ditching the dumbfounded Alphonse in the process.

Black Hayate was just as surprised and looked at his mistress full of expectation. To his dismay she didn't give him a sign to allow him to freely run ahead to greet the young adults.

At least Xiao-Mei came to bump noses with him, so he wasn't able to sulk for too long.

"Good evening, Mei." Hawkeye smiled as she saw the still perplexed Alphonse trudge over slowly. "And Alphonse. I take that you two are on patrol?"

"Yes, but we haven't seen anyone suspicious." Mei ignored the dog who stared at her wide eyed, begging her to pet him with his shiny eyes. She had played with him in Resembool, Black Hayate wanted to relive that. "Are you taking a walk? This late?"

"Yeah, I didn't have much time for Black Hayate today so I wanted to make up with it with a long stroll before going to bed." Hayate wagged his tail happily as if he knew that his mistress was talking about him.

Alphonse finally spoke: "Any news?"

"Nor really, but the Brigadier General is investigating one of our new leads this very moment." The Captain narrowed her eyes, remembering where he went _investigating_. "At least I hope so."

"Please tell us more about the case! We can't do anything with the information we have now." Mei begged; her panda mimicked her motions for emphasis.

"I can't really. Not here, not now." Hawkeye answered sternly. "Come to the headquarters tomorrow, we might be able to give you some details then. But how about you join me for a while?"

Mei sighed, but was thankful for the invitation. "Sure, sounds good."

They started walking at a slow pace and turned into a deserted alley.

"But there's something that would help us a lot." Hawkeye continued. "We're looking for a little boy. Five years old, normal built, dark hair, light skin. He lives near the industrial part of the city. His name is Bennet Plaice."

Mei and Al began to smirk; they'd get some information after all.

"A child?" Alphonse questioned.

"He's not a suspect of course; and we hope he isn't connected to our case ..." The Captain said. "But it's alarming that he went missing around the same time Johnson resurfaced."

"It's been like that with all missing persons?"

Hawkeye nodded. "Yes, there's always only one person missing at the same time."

"Since when is the boy missing?" the young alchemist asked. You could see that the gears in his head had started running at full speed.

"He vanished yesterday evening."

"It's kinda weird the culprit never left a solid lead." Mei stated absent-mindedly.

"We've found a message that might have been left by the murderer of Chadwick." Hawkeye mentioned it matter of factly as if it weren't disclosed information. "It led us to an infamous person here in East City."

The young adults looked at her thrilled by the news.

"You might have heard of him; Archer, he's pretty well-known in all the wrong places."

"Chuck Archer?" Alphonse spat quick as a shot.

"No, he withdrew from business for the most part and enjoys his retirement so to speak. We're focusing on his son Lionel."

"I'm surprised you know the elder Archer, Alphonse. He hasn't surfaced in the media for a long time."

"Ah well," Al started to explain. "when I was still travelling with brother we looked for information everywhere – and his son is rather tame in comparison to Chuck."

"As far as we're aware for now at least ..." Hawkeye sighed.

"I'm sorry." The Elric brother apologized suddenly. "It must frustrate you that neither of them has been brought to justice as of yet."

The Captain smiled gently at him. "No, need to apologize, Alphonse."

"There is also the thing that Archer seems to know Mrs. West."

Mei gasped. "So our cases are connected after all!"

"We can't say that yet. But it's a possibility. Archer might as well be a fluke altogether; the link to him is rather weak anyway."

"But didn't the message of the culprit lead you to him?" Alphonse tilted his head, thinking about all the new information.

"Yes, but it's not a perfect match."

Mei was afraid she wouldn't get an answer but asked anyway: "What did the message say?"

To the surprise of Al and Mei the Captain did answer: "'Achi loves Vivi' is what it said."

"We aren't sure of its meaning yet-" Hawkeye continued but stopped once she realized Alphonse had jerked to a halt. "Alphonse?"

"'Achi' … ?" He echoed.

Hawkeye immediately stepped towards him: "Have you heard of it before?"

Both women stared at him anxiously. He stayed silent for a moment, his eyes closed.

"That doesn't make any sense!" Alphonse suddenly burst out with a little too much passion.

"I guess not, huh?" The Captain exhaled disappointedly.

"Ah sorry, I didn't want to make it see like I knew something …" Al chuckled embarrassedly.

"There's nothing you have to apologize for. You're always too nice Alphonse." Hawkeye said with a slight smile.

"Ed always says so, too ..."

"Aw, don't worry about it, you're a just gentleman that's all!" Mei linked arms with him and smiled. "There's no way that brute would understand."

Hawkeye and Al had to laugh at that.

They reached the end of the deserted alley.

"So," Hawkeye began. "This is it for today, see you tomorrow."

Mei's pet panda who had took a seat on top of Black Hayate, jumped down finally to climb on her mistress instead.

"Yes, thank you, Captain!" Alphonse said.

"No need to thank me, I didn't give you any information after all, right?" Hawkeye waved and started to walk off.

The two young alchemists grinned and said simultaneously: "Still thank you, Captain!"

"And give our thanks to the Brigadier General, too!" Al added.

+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+

"Have you asked Elizabeth yet?"

Roy looked at Madeline like a pooping deer. Only for a split second though; he let his head sink on the counter before his pestering sister could have noticed. Rolling his head from side to side he said in a sulky voice:

"No way. She'd just shoot me down."

"Aw come on, if you don't risk it, nothing will ever come out of it."

"No, I meant like literally. She has hidden guns in the most obscene places."

She nudged him, laughing: "Well, you would know."

Roy couldn't help but remember that he had almost reached that one place where she hides a gun when wearing a skirt or dress during the wedding party.

He really hated the guy who just had to strike down Mary and restricted him to 'almost reached' instead of 'reached and conquered'.

"Jee, Madame Christmas is taking so long!" Madeline stood up and walked around the bar; from the other side of the counter she asked: "The usual, Roy?"

"Sure," he looked up gleefully. "I really deserve one or two after this day-"

"No topic change, though." She interrupted him and pulled a bottle from beneath the counter. "I thought you had proposed to her already! Not even once?"

Roy let his head flop onto the counter again and grunted.

Madeline concluded that must mean 'no'.

"I'd really have thought you would have asked her … did you ever talk about it?"

Roy just grunted again, but lifted his head – to sip at his now finished drink.

This made him remember. It wasn't like that the thought had never crossed his mind; his mother and Hughes had always loved to bring the topic up after all.

But he remembered a specific time now; a night some time ago. Right after his sisters and mother had returned from abroad.

Roy had been surprised that his foster mother not only had decided to reopen the bar right away, but to move the location to East City as well.

He fulfilled his promise and paid them back by using his position to speed up formalities and helping out financially.

It was on the day of their opening about three years ago ...

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"_It seems like the opening party is a success!" Roy said a little too enthusiastic. It was already well into the night and he had drunken his share with his sisters._

_His foster mother rummaged in one of her desk drawers._

_Her office was neat, but also just like you'd expect the private room of the owner of a hostess club to look like. The carpet was a deep shade of red, the desk and shelves were made of dark wood and were full of tacky decorations. On one of the walls hung an oil painting of Madame Christmas herself; still in her twenties then. And her heavy scent hung around in every corner of the small room._

_The woman who was actually named Chris Mustang finally placed a small chest onto the desk._

"_Kept it safe in the utmost corner."_

"_What now? Are-" Roy suddenly noticed that his foster mother looked at him with an almost sad look on her face and immediately fell silent._

_He was able to count the times she looked at him so sternly on a single hand._

"_Roy, you know that I gave you all the belongings of your parents when you graduated from the military academy."_

_He nodded._

"_To be honest, I didn't. There is something I have been keeping from- no; rather for you." Chris knocked on the wooden chest in front of her._

"_I've raised you to be a good man. You had your failures, but you always exceeded my expectations, Roy. You left to learn alchemy, you become a soldier, you went to war-" She locked eyes with him, knowing fully well that the trauma that was triggered then still hadn't ebbed away. "You returned and began to walk down the path you're still on; to change this very country. You've always been strong." _

"_Mom ..." Roy croaked._

"_To be honest there were a few instances I already wanted to give this to you. But something always held me back." Her voice was calm. She had waited a long time for this. "Did anything change? Now that the Fuhrer is dead, after all you experienced … you still stand firmly on your goal, don't you?"_

"_Yes." He answered more than sincere, automatically straightening up._

_His mother sighed deeply._

"_Thought so," Chris chuckled. "Still … this."_

_She pushed the chest towards him; to the very end of the desk._

"_Go ahead, open it."_

_In the small chest was an even smaller velvet box. It was dark red._

_Roy felt like someone hit him in the gut with all might. He immediately realized what the little box contained._

"_You don't want to look at it?" Chris smiled at him lovingly. "It's been passed down our family for two generations now. Use it."_

_Roy slowly reached for the velvet box. He strangely felt reminded of a Cretan myth of a woman called Pandora. He opened it warily._

_It was beautiful._

_It was a simple platinum band with a medium sized diamond. It sparkled splendidly. Simple yet perfect._

_Roy opened his mouth, but shut it before he started to speak. His words were silenced by the shine of the diamond._

"_I know how stubborn you are, but you know- there is only this one life for the two of you. I'm sure you've realized that yourself after almost losing her, didn't you?"_

_Her throat. Everything red._

_His blood still ran cold, remembering. It had taken her weeks to recover fully from it. The red mark on her neck still showed clearly where the sword had cut her._

"_I can't." Roy croaked weakly and threw the diamond ring back into the chest. He looked at his hands, horror showing on his face._

"_It's yours. It doesn't belong to me." Chris whispered gently. She closed the lid of the chest slowly._

"_I can't!" He screamed. But he continued in a barely audible whisper: "I don't have that kind of strength."_

_His foster mother fought the urge to stand up and pull him into a hug; rock him until everything didn't hurt anymore. But he was a grown man now; and she wasn't able to soothe his pain._

_She would do whatever she was able to do still:_

"_Listen Roy. This is a keepsake from your parents. I kept it for you for a long time, but it belongs to you. If you don't want to use it fine – but at least hold onto it. I'm not letting you go home without it."_

_Roy looked at her, unsure if he was supposed to laugh about that._

"_A keepsake?"_

_His foster mother nodded enthusiastically._

"_It's meant to be kept by the person close to your heart. Your grandfather gave it to your grandma; she in turn gave it to her son – your father. And he-"_

"_Gave it to my mother." Roy ended her sentence dryly._

"_They loved you, Roy. And **I** love you. It's yours."_

_Roy stared at the little chest._

"_A keepsake." He tucked it under his arm and turned to leave. "I'll take it as a keepsake, is all."_

_Chris smiled satisfied._

"_Just one thing: It's a ring you always pass to the person you love the most. Using it to propose to, say, engage a purely political marriage is forbidden."_

_Roy grinned at her from over his shoulder: "Because it will curse me then?"_

"_No," she replied dryly. "I will."_

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Roy stared into his glass. He remembered vaguely where he kept the engagement ring.

'Poor thing, must feel lonely.' He thought to himself. 'But there's no way she'd take you anyway.'

He couldn't help but conclude that it would suit her perfectly, though. Would, would, would ...

"What a waste~ A guy like you really needs a strong woman at his side." Madeline interrupted Roy's thoughts.

"Saying that after declining my proposal in the most cold-hearted manner ..." Roy sulked and swung around his glass.

"Tzk tzk, you're the cold one. You only come to visit when Elizabeth ditched you."

Roy's head flopped back onto the counter.

"In such a bad mood today … don't tell me you had a fight?"

"No ..."

"Oh I see, she's with another man! You're fault really."

He lifted his head only an inch and looked at her fairly annoyed: "Don't draw conclusions like that so easily."

"Oh come on … I mean we know your reputation, don't we? I can't blame her~" Madeline singsonged, obviously enjoying to pull his leg.

"She worked until late, only male she'll hang out with tonight will be her stupid dog." Roy frowned and sipped at his drink.

"You hope," the hostess retorted, still grinning. "The little doggy still hasn't warmed up to you, huh?"

"... he lets everyone else hand feed him, but when I try to he stares at me until I throw it away for him to chase after." Roy mumbled into his drink.

"Dogs tend to adopt the behaviour and attitudes of their owners, you know~"

Roy downed the rest of his glass. "Ba! Thanks, that helps a lot."

"Don't you ever get told off by her? When you've taken me for a nice long date again, for example." Madeline asked innocently. She drummed on the counter with her fingers and leaned forward to look at him more closely.

Roy sighed deeply and curled his lips into a childish pout: "She barely even reacts. Always ignoring me, so cold."

Madeline laughed, but spotted a new customer at the entrance: "Excuse me, gotta work some more~"

She winked at him before she walked off.

"... who neglects who now …?" Roy mumbled to himself. But he didn't stay alone for too long.

"Roy-Boy! What brings you here? On a Monday night at that. Too less work, my boy?" The hoarse voice of his foster mother finally greeted him. She immediately took her spot behind the counter.

Roy shook his head. "No, quite the contrary actually."

"Hmm," Madame Christmas hummed. "So you're here because of work?"

"Yeah, sadly." He smiled and pushed his empty glass to his mother who already held the bottle. "I was sure you might be able to tell me some things about a certain person that I won't find in our archives."

"Shoot."

They were alone at the bar; and no one was within hearing range. It was less suspicious to simply talk about it here instead of going to the back.

Roy took his glass gratefully.

"Lionel Archer, I'm sure you know him."

"I sure do." The elder Mustang said. "He's a big fish. His father worked under Bradley, I think he provided estates for him all over East City. That influence still hasn't died down and his little son lives of that and continues the shady business of his father."

"Do you think it's possible for me to meet him?"

"You mean as the Brigadier General? There's no way he hasn't heard of you. Are you sure about that?"

Roy smiled full of confidence. "That might work out perfectly; I can lure him with his greed for power. Don't you think?"

"Be careful Roy-Boy. He's dangerous." his foster mother warned him. "But you might be lucky; his casino has its 6th anniversary this coming Friday. It's a big event so you might be able to show up without being too suspicious."

"Perfect," Roy grinned satisfied. He had the chance to suss Archer out himself. "Well, I'll count on you for arranging an invitation for me."

"That shouldn't be a problem, my boy."

"And I'd like to take Caroline along; can't show up alone, can I?"

Madame Christmas shook her head. "That won't do. Archer is a customer, you see. You can't take any of the girls. We don't want to risk him getting the idea you might have collected information on him, don't you?"

Roy was surprised. "This complicates things ..."

"But smart of you to ask me for the only girl that used to be a soldier herself. It's a dangerous mission after all." The old hostess leaned forward. "You're better off taking someone able to look out for herself and for you as well, Roy-Boy."

Her son knew who she would suggest immediately.

"Why don't you take lil' Elizabeth instead?"

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**Author's notes:**  
OMFG AN ENGANGEMENT RING!  
I originally had planned to reveal the existance of the ring a lot later, but whatever, works better this way me thinks. That way I can torture you with the anxiety of not knowing when it'll pop up again! :D

Madeline is no original character. I borrowed her from Arakawa. Enjoy your paragraph in the limelight, Madeline!

**Thank you** guys and gals for everything like always!  
I appreciate any feedback or critique in any shape or form. I really do!~

Love and sparkles,  
the striped one


	18. Faulty Acting

I'm still alive! Thanks for the support, even in my absence.

There were a lot of changes in my life and my new working position eats all the time and creativity I have to spare. I'm sorry for the delay, but I'm not going to drop the story – promise.

Where were we? The recap might help remembering:  
striped-fiction(_DOT_)lima-city(_DOT_)de/ch.18_recap(_DOT_)html

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**Chapter 18: Faulty Acting**

Havoc sat in the dining room of Resembool's only inn. The restless tapping of his foot was the only noise in the big room. He was waiting for Mary. That's what he did these days. And yet he had utterly failed to get any information out of her till now.

He had been gallant; had hidden the tension he felt behind some flirting. He somehow had tried to impersonate the Brigadier General on impulse but wasn't nearly as good at being charming as he was. Havoc had been careful about what he said and had desperately tried to read the singer.

Without any luck until now. On the bright side: He also hadn't screwed up.

The singer was known for her temper, pride and professionalism. Havoc had to use that knowledge to get her make a mistake and spill the beans by accident. He just needed to be patient.

He did however truly hope that Mary didn't have anything to hide. At least nothing too bad.

He automatically stood up once he saw Mary enter the room.

"Good morning, Mary." he greeted her gently.

She wore one of her short and low cut dresses again. Mary was back to her old, glamorous self.

Her shoes clicked loudly on the floor as she hovered over to him.

"Morning, Jean." She slightly leaned forward to give him a better view when she arrived in front of him. "How do I look today?"

"Great like always!" he grinned happily. "Would you like to go for a walk?"

+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+

Havoc tried to enjoy having a beautiful woman at his arm. But he couldn't savour their stroll through the calmness that was Resembool. It kind of reminded him of his own turf. It looked very similar; with the green hills and nothingness everywhere. Havoc spotted Edward and Winry walking their dog in the distance and waved. They waved back. Truly, a nothingness you could easily overlook.

"Will you take up a notch today?" Mary suddenly asked. Her voice was sharp. Jean just looked at her puzzled.

"Sounding me out." she said matter of factly. "Are you gonna take up a notch today?"

The soldier had the sudden urge to run, but due to his crutches it seemed impossible to escape from the woman with the dangerous yet sexy aura. Even if she was wearing high heels.

Mary chuckled as he turned to stone beside her. "No need to panic, I enjoyed your little interrogations … as expected of one of Mustang's subordinates - you were subtle and didn't push the issue too much."

Havoc wondered if the grip of Mary's hand on his arm really was tightening or if he just imagined it.

"Mary it's not like-"

"Yeah, yeah," she interrupted him. "No hard feelings dear, I understand."

Her nonchalant tone only made him more uncomfortable.

"You were a perfect gentleman about it, so I won't kick you for it." she nudged him, but not very gently. "Since you were nice to me I'll tell you before I pack up: I'm going back to East City."

"What? But Mary- we still don't know who attacked you! You might be in danger-"

"Bah, shouldn't I be more secure at the city then? How are you able to tell I'm not at mortal danger here?" the singer laughed. "I'm not a fugitive so you have no right to stop me – believe me I will go, I don't care about your consent."

"But Mary, please be rational, we aren't you're enemies!" Havoc barked. He was surprised himself he didn't stammer.

"Neither am I yours. However-" she stopped walking and turned to face the younger man properly. "I see no reason to stay at this god forsaken place. So I won't, it's that easy."

"You still don't have your memories back-"

"Well, going where I spend the three months I can't remember might help speed up the process don't you think?" Mary eyed him sharply.

"... true." Havoc couldn't help but concur.

Mary stepped forward, closer to the blond man. Her perfume found its way into his nostrils.

"I thank you for keeping me company. I always like my company handsome after all!" her lips curled into a grin. "I will reward you for it ..."

She stepped even more closer, almost pressing her breasts against his torso.

"That- that would be?" He chuckled, trying to hide his sudden nervousness. He failed.

Thoroughly amused Mary said: "I will give you a choice-"

She raised a single finger. "A) We continue where we left off at the wedding party – as unfortunate as it is, I can't remember, so you'd have to tell me where to continue ..."

Jean gulped.

Mary raised a second finger. "Or B) You may ask about whatever you might find suspicious about me – because let's be frank – there is something you find odd or you wouldn't have pursued me like this. I can't promise I'm _able to_ answer, but I will answer honestly if I do know."

The singer tried to read his expression. "So, what will it be?"

Jean didn't hesitate. He took hold of her hand and locked eyes with her. "There is something bothering me about you."

Mary laughed, looking into his earnest eyes: "I knew it. You're this kind of man of course … always duty first."

Jean wasn't sure if he should take that as a compliment. His groin didn't.

"Go ahead and ask." the singer crossed her arms and faced him directly.

Jean wondered if he should really reveal what little he knew. Was she serious? Was this a trap?

His gut feeling told him that Mary was too direct for telling lies. His gut feeling wasn't good with women, though … but it was right whenever it concerned working matters. … wasn't it?

Havoc risked it: "Mary, do you take part in any shady business?"

The singer tilted her head, her smile unchanged. "Shady business?"

"Yeah, like gambling, tax fraud, blackmail, bribery … something illegal or in the grey area of the law ..."

Mary tilted her head even further, thinking hard.

"And?" Havoc inquired, mimicking her head movement without noticing.

"You already know I pay for the stuff Ricky does … other than stuff like that, I can't think of anything."

"Stuff like that?"

"I won't deny I sometimes shove some money on people to get rid of a little trouble … but nothing that would be truly illegal, believe me."

Havoc sighed.

"I mean," Mary continued. "Why would I? I have enough money to get by more than comfortably. I have no reason to defy the law."

The officer shook his head to clear his thoughts. "Do you ever carry large sums of cash with you?"

"How do you define 'large'? I suppose I often carry more than normal people do."

Havoc discarded all of his doubts and pressed ahead: "Like a million Cenz?"

Mary started laughing. "What? Why would I carry such an amount? That would be even too much if I'd try to attempt to bribe that Brigadier General of yours."

"That's what I want to know." Havoc said seriously. "You had that amount with you on the night you were attacked."

The singer's eyes widened.

"A million? Are you kidding me?" she snapped.

"I'm not. Does anything come to mind now?" Havoc remained calm and slowly stepped forward.

"I- don't-"

Havoc came even closer. "Anything. You promised you'd answer to the best of your abilities, right?"

Mary stared him down sharply. But Havoc didn't waver.

"Hmm, you really are a good man." The woman started to smirk. "It might not be related, don't forget that! But-"

Havoc simply continued to gaze into her eyes silently.

"_Lionel Archer._" Mary answered finally. "You must have heard of him. That lowlife is a regular customer at the 'Red Barrel'. I turned him down once, since then he always throws a tantrum how he'll buy the club and make me kneel before him – always when he's drunk already of course. He's the only person I can think of I could have trouble with and might be able to silence with such a sum."

The singer brushed over Havoc's cheek with her hand, smiling devilishly.

"But I'm a good girl, I promise, Officer."

+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+

Brigadier General Mustang yawned loudly, not caring for the lower ranked soldiers that turned and saluted in utter shock of his early arrival at the Headquarters. He trudged slowly forward, feeling the weight of his feet and boots way too clearly. Maybe he should have left earlier. Before he had drunken the whole bottle his foster mother kept safely under the counter of her bar.

But Madeline and Clara had joined him later, so he had too much fun to leave at a responsible time. He had still woken early today; not that he had a choice regarding the matter. It didn't help his mood.

Curse you high quality alcohol. And curse you curvy ladies!

Mustang opened the door to his office. The big room was still quiet, but to his pleasure he caught a whiff of the wonderful smell of caffeine.

"Good morning, Brigadier General." Captain Hawkeye saluted.

"Good morning, Captain." Mustang returned her greeting.

Hawkeye filled a mug for the Brigadier General without him having to ask. He thanked her when she brought it to his office which was separate from the office room his men worked in.

"Gah, I stayed up way too long ..." Mustang exclaimed before he took his first sip of his first coffee today.

"Everything went well, Sir?"

The dark haired man glanced at her shortly before he slightly turned away.

"You could say that." Mustang held his mug like a glass and continued in a light-hearted tone and a blank expression: "The usual night really. Drank some bourbon, asked about Archer, proposed to Madeline … the usual really~"

"Did Madame Christmas give you a good hint?" Hawkeye asked dryly, not even looking up from her clipboard.

Mustang scowled at her: "You mean where to held the ceremony?"

His Captain sighed. "No, Sir."

The Brigadier General always had too much fun doing this, even so he knew it annoyed her to no end. Maybe that was what was fun about it? She never really showed her annoyance unfortunately.

Mustang grinned sheepishly: "What then, Captain?"

"About Archer of course." Hawkeye scribbled something on her clipboard again. "I've told you before that I ignore your antics during work, Sir."

"Antics?" he pouted. "A wedding would be quite a big thing, you know. Specially, for you … as my aide."

"_Would_, yes." Hawkeye eyed him, her expression unchanged. "But I take she didn't say 'yes'?"

Mustang frowned and looked away. "No ..."

"Then it doesn't concern me." She stated flatly.

Her superior sighed. Wasn't like he had expected a different reaction-

"I take it as a given that you'll notify me more seriously once the time comes."

Mustang looked at her surprised. The Captain's eyes were closed – he couldn't read them.

Many smart retorts came to mind, but the Brigadier General all shoved them aside and answered in a playful manner: "Hmm, I'm not tired of my single life just yet."

Hawkeye smiled so slightly anyone else wouldn't have noticed; Mustang did however.

"I have the chance to sound Archer out myself on Friday." The Brigadier General finally said.

"Yourself?" Hawkeye questioned. "Isn't that too dangerous?"

"That's why I'm going to take a very capable company with me."

Before Hawkeye was able to inquire about the exact capability of the bimbo that would come with him this time, she couldn't help but notice the goofy grin on the Brigadier General's face; and realized the bimbo was _her_.

"You can't be serious ..." The Captain gave him a look and sighed – by her standards – heavily.

+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+

"Good morning!" Alphonse greeted the empty office. "Huh?"

Mei looked around, only to spot no one. "Thought it was strange that there was no answer."

"Ah, they must be in Mustang's office." Al pointed towards the wooden door at the other side of the room.

"His own office _in_ the office? He's a high ranked soldier after all, huh? He should behave better to live up to his status." The young woman stated flatly as she hopped towards the door with gusto. The fancy looking (and Armstrong-worthy sparkling) plate said: 'Brigadier General Mustang'.

Alphonse smiled at the excitement of Mei. … that she never noticed herself to boot. The young man found the childlike wonder she tended to display even after all this time and all that happened, more than endearing.

His smile still lingered on his lips when he raised his fist to knock, but Mei stopped it right before he touched the cold wood.

"Wha-"

"I- I-" Mei stammered.

"Mei?" Al leaned forward and to his surprise his girlfriend was blushing heavily. She turned to him with a helpless look on her face. "I think I heard something ..."

Alphonse was even more confused. Well, of course Mustang must be talking to Captain Hawkeye or somethi-

"_Oh no~, you can't ... not here, Roy dear."_

The seductive and playful sounding voice of the Captain reached Alphonse ears. He noticed then the door wasn't shut properly and only leaned in the door frame.

"'Roy dear'?" The young alchemist echoed in a forced whisper.

"So, they're like this when alone ..." Mei exclaimed weakly.

"_But I can't hold myself back when we're alone like this, honey ..." _The Brigadier General chuckled like a little boy. _"Weren't you ticklish … somewhere … around … … here?"_

His voice had become lower and slower with every word; Mei only caught everything because she had pressed her ear towards the gap in the door frame. The silence following the 'here' made her blush even more.

Alphonse and Mei looked at each other helplessly.

"She said to come today, didn't she?" Mei asked frantically, but still in low volume. "Captain Hawkeye said to come, right? … or …"

"Calm down." Al hushed.

"But we can't walk in on them now, can we?"

"Well .. no."

"_You're so bad."_ Hawkeye giggled._"Don't go for my weak spots so easily, darling."_

"She giggled ..." Mei breathed unbelievingly.

"_Saying that while doing **that** ..."_

There was the sound of things falling to the ground. Things like papers or files that used to lay on the desk peacefully.

Silence.

…

…

"I bet she's on top." Alphonse said suddenly with a devilish grin plastered on his face.

Mei looked at him utterly surprised; almost too busy wondering if she just heard right. Almost.

PUNCH.

"GAH!" The young man held his side – the landing area that Mei's fist had chosen.

"Alphonse Elric! What did you just say?"

"Sorry, sorry! I was just-" Alphonse stopped, still bent over to ease the pain his girlfriend had inflicted, as he heard steps. The head of Captain Hawkeye peeked out of the door.

"Ah it's you two!"

Both of the young guests startled at the sight of the woman who was armed at all times. They assumed defensive positions out of instinct.

"Captain Hawkeye!"

"We just arrived!" Mei added a little too enthusiastically.

A perfectly dressed Hawkeye grimaced and shook her head. "You heard us, didn't you?"

"No no, nothing like that! Not at all!" They both shouted simultaneously. Hawkeye just looked at them silently, until she let out a sigh. The door behind her finally opened fully and the Brigadier General appeared in front of them – dressed orderly just like his Captain.

"Oh it's just you." Mustang frowned as he spotted the couple. He turned to Hawkeye: "Did you tell them to come, _darling_?"

"_Sir-_ enough of the practice already." Hawkeye sighed.

"Practice?" Mei tilted her head, trying to understand what was going on.

"We're going to pose as a couple to investigate." the Captain stated dryly. "The Brigadier General criticized my acting in a previous situation, so we opted to rehearse."

"Well, calling me 'Sir' would kind of blow our cover, wouldn't it?"

"I never referred to you by rank when someone could overhear us during a mission like that, Sir."

Mustang chuckled nervously. "... you are most believable when it's on the phone, though. You're expressions aren't very natural, it's just common sense to practice it intensely … Nevertheless! Preparation is vital to victory, right?"

Alphonse cut in: "What are you investigating? Is it Archer by any chance?"

Mustang smiled slightly, but assumed his serious business stance. "It is in fact. But don't get any ideas, Alphonse Elric."

"Why?" Al asked. "Wouldn't it be better if we came, too? It would be safer for you."

"No," Mustang shook his head. "We're going alone for a reason. If there are others that can be remotely related to me, Archer might get suspicious – we can't risk that. Don't forget that you're quite famous … you'd be recognized immediately."

Mei had followed the conversation silently; her eyes flying from the Brigadier General to the Captain and back again as if she was watching a Tennis match.

"Wait a moment-" not being able to keep quiet, it finally burst out of her: "You two … are NOT a couple?"

The people in question, Roy and Riza, simply turned to her quizzically. "Huh?"

"Uh … as far as I know they're not involved … right?" Al informed Mei and glanced over to the pair with caution. Mustang and Hawkeye simply nodded.

Mei turned to her boyfriend swiftly: "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I- I just … we never really talked about it, I guess?"

"What the-" Mei stomped on the ground with her foot.

Mustang and Hawkeye looked at each other and shrugged. "Well, you could have easily misunderstood … we spent a lot of the wedding together."

"Huh? Oh no not from that ..." Mei stated, her index finger on her chin. "I assumed from long ago ..." Since the confused stares continued Mei did as well: "I mean … do you remember? On the day of the eclipse; when the Captain got hurt."

Mei didn't notice, but Mustangs eyes widened. Hawkeye's did as well.

"I mean the way he cried out and held you in his arms … I assumed you were lovers since then!" The young woman whined. "I can't believe I was mistaken! I was so rooting for your secret, forbidden love, too! Since you looked so cute ..."

"Mei .. that was a little too much ..." Al whispered into her ear.

"OH! I'm sorry, I didn't want to offend!" The Xingese girl bowed as she apologized. "Please do forgive me- I was just really excited about it ..."

"Don't worry about it." Mustang said with a smile.

"... you really love these forbidden love stuff, don't you?" Al raised an eyebrow.

"Of course! It's really romantic!"

"It's not forbidden to date in the Amestrian army, though."

"It's not?" Mei was obviously crestfallen - her delusions shattered.

"Yes, it's not forbidden. You shouldn't do it openly when working in the same office, though." Mustang stated.

Hawkeye sighed yet again. "Our conversation derailed just a little bit, didn't it?"

As if he had just been waiting for the right moment to enter – Lieutenant Maverick made his entrance after a soft knock. He saluted immediately after he spotted his superiors.

"Good morning; Brigadier General – Captain." the tall man eyed Alphonse and Mei. "Shall I return later for my report, Sir?"

Mustang turned to his guests, who were already gazing at him gleefully.

"None, of you are part of the military ..."

Mei coughed and stepped forward, proclaiming sternly: "Brigadier General Mustang – with all due respect; you haven't forgotten that I – Mei of the Chang clan and a member of the noble royal family of Xing – am on official ambassador, haven't you?"

Mustang started smiling knowingly.

"As an ally I cannot simply idle around in this situation. I demand you to accept my assistance and that of my bodyguard Alphonse, whom you should trust anyway."

Alphonse simply nodded behind the noble member of royality.

"Well, then ..." Mustang turned to Maverick, smiling broadly. "You heard her; they're officially part of the team for now."

+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+

"Lieutenant Colonel Armstrong, Lieutenant Breda and Sergeant Smith have departed as planned. They will commence investigation in Central City as soon as they arrive. Breda and Smith will continue their way to the South before long to interview the cases that are similar to 'Jester'." Maverick stopped shortly to make sure there were no questions. "Mrs. Curtis has been so kind to offer her assistance – the headquarters of the newspaper she gave you, Brigadier General, isn't far from her home; and considering that having a native on one's side is always preferable I agreed."

Mustang nodded approvingly.

Mei whispered to Al: "He's talking about your scary teacher isn't he?"

Al nodded. "Poor newspaper guy."

Maverick wasn't finished: "Apparently all the incidents kept the Lieutenant Colonel from reporting-"

"Ah, the little investigation Armstrong and Brosch did for me before the wedding?" Mustang asked, faintly remembering a grumpy Brosch. "Right, they even missed the bachelor party because of that! Pity."

He didn't have a pitying look on his face.

"Yes, Sir." Maverick wasn't the type of guy to comment on that. "The interviews didn't bring any new information to the table, but they came across a few documents that might be interesting. The gallery owner David Demeter has been quite hesitant to reveal much information about himself or the gallery. But he finally gave us a few crucial folders."

The Lieutenant presented the documents and Brigadier General Mustang didn't hesitate to see for himself.

"Demeter bought the building 3 years ago – off Archer Senior."

Mustang started grinning.

"But there's more … the original contract when the building was built ..." Maverick stared blankly into Mustang's eyes, his hand resting on a lonely paper on his lap: "Do you truly trust these two?"

Mei and Al jumped up, but kept quiet.

"I forgive you for questioning me this time, since you weren't in my team yet four years ago, Lieutenant – but to be frank I trust them as much as I trust you, if not even more."

Maverick didn't flinch at his superior's words or his cold tone. "Good, because this is something no one from outside shall never know."

He quietly pushed the piece of paper he had kept for himself towards Mustang, so everyone could see.

"This-!" Hawkeye gasped.

There was a signature right next to that of the notorious Chuck Archer, they all knew all too well. It was written in a graceful manner, with the official stamp - the signature of King Bradley, the former Amestrian Fuhrer.

"So the infamous Archer and Fuhrer Bradley had a contract?" Mustang let his head rest on his folded hand, his gaze sharp.

"It dates back from over 30 years ago. It might not have anything to do with our case." Hawkeye added, inspecting the document again and again.

"Yes, but if it's related?" Mustang stood up, with a confident smile on his face. "The military used the museum that connects our missing cases … Even if it's just coincidence it's worth investigating."

+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+

**Authors's Notes:**

… I always feel weird when I write the characters OOC intentionally. Or at least them acting.

I cut the part dealing with Havoc and Mary in the last chapter and put it here instead. It was in favour of Roy's scenes which were far more important anyway.

**Thanks** everyone for leaving a review; also thanks to to all subscribers and **to all ****readers in general! **:)

The reviews motivated me greatly to update. Reminded me others might care about the story, too. I generally just write for myself and since I'm rather busy feedback is a big motivation boost. I know how it ends already after all! :p

I'm also sorry if there are a lot of stupid mistakes here, I'm still looking for a new beta.

cheerio  
the striped one


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